Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-33-310: Assessments

(a) Improvement assessments shall be assessed annually against the benefited property in the proportion that the assessed value of each lot or parcel bears to the whole assessed value of the benefited properties. Properties not assessed for taxation, such as public property or property exempt from taxation, except church-owned property located in cities as defined in § 67-6-103(a)(3)(B)(i) , shall be specially assessed by the municipal assessor of property, by the county assessor of property if the municipality uses county property assessments, or by a special assessor of property appointed by the governing body for this purpose, for which compensation may be paid from the "(name of improvement) special fund" or from the general fund of the municipality. Any such special assessment shall be subject to the procedure for equalization and judicial review provided by the law for assessments made for purposes of property taxation.

(b) Improvement assessments authorized by this part shall not be levied against undeveloped or largely undeveloped areas, but shall be limited to areas in which a majority of the lots or parcels of land contain buildings or other structures.