RINCON, Ga. — Rincon homeowners will soon receive something they haven’t received from the city in nearly 30 years: a property tax bill. The Rincon City Council voted unanimously Aug. 24 to adopt a 2.323-mill property tax rate, replacing the $240 annual fee property owners have been paying through their water bills. The change gives Rincon a more predictable source of revenue as the city grows. It also could allow the city to take part in a new property tax relief program if voters approve it in November. The council’s vote followed three public hearings on the proposed millage rate, beginning the process of ending Rincon’s zero municipal property tax rate, which has been in place since 1998. During the public hearing process, Mayor Kevin Exley said the city’s current system made sense when Rincon was much smaller. It makes less sense now. Rincon had about 3,057 residents in 1998. Today, the city has about 13,000. That growth has brought more demand for police, fire protection, roads, parks and other city services. Rincon also serves as an urban center for the county, with an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 people passing through the city each day. The new property tax will replace the $240 fee, rather than add another source of revenue on top of it. “We’re going to get the millage set to match that fee,” Exley said. But how much individual property owners pay will change. Under the old system, every property owner paid the same $240 annual fee, regardless of the property’s…
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