MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Macon-Bibb County Commission approved a 9.28% property tax increase Wednesday while keeping the millage rate unchanged at 9.575 mills. The approved rate is 0.813 mills above the state-calculated rollback rate of 8.762 mills. Georgia law classifies the difference as a property tax increase, even though the millage rate remains the same as last year. The rollback rate is designed to keep property tax revenue level as the tax digest grows. Keeping the millage rate unchanged does not mean every property owner will receive the same bill. An individual bill depends on the property’s taxable assessed value and exemptions. During a September 1 hearing, Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller said owners whose home values remained the same would receive the same bill. He said bills could decrease if a home’s value went down or increase if its value went up, depending on exemptions. “The proposal is to keep that millage rate exactly the same,” Miller said. Miller also said homeowners represent about 7% of the county’s overall $221 million budget. Because the proposed rate exceeded the rollback rate, the county held four public hearings before the final vote. The county initially held three advertised hearings on August 28 and September 1. It later scheduled another hearing Wednesday morning before commissioners considered final adoption. Two residents spoke against the proposal during the August 28 hearing. They expressed concern about how higher expenses…
*This content (including text, artwork, graphics, photography, and video) was provided by the third party(ies) as referenced above. Any rights or other content questions or inquiries should be directed to such third-party provider(s).
