NASHVILLE (AP) - The head of the Tennessee county mayor's group says more than half of the counties he's heard from have used reserve funds to balance their current budgets.

Fred Congdon, executive director of the Association of County Mayors, told WMOT-FM in Murfreesboro that he has heard from 46 of the state's 95 counties, and 27 of those have had to tap reserve funding. Several said they expect to dip into their reserves next year as well (http://bit.ly/nAeLt5).

Congdon sent an email to association members with the aim of making them aware of the statewide scope of the problem. The responses indicate some are turning to new taxes to bolster the county budgets.

Of the 46 who replied, seven reported raising property taxes in the current budget year and 17 anticipated a similar hike next fiscal year.

A wheel tax was passed in six of the counties and a wheel tax increase was anticipated in nine counties.

"They're all going to have to tighten their belts and cut spending. Hopefully, the economy will turn around soon and things will be better," Congdon said.

Congdon urged his colleagues to talk with state lawmakers to blunt any effort to shift more costs to local governments in the next legislative session.

Congdon has been the director of the county mayors group for 21 years and previously served as the county executive, as county mayors were previously called, in Unicoi County.