Tax roller coaster County's is down, Chickamauga's up
Commissioner lowers property taxes, countywide reduction of almost a mill Chickamauga school board to hold three public hearings about tax hike
Press releases issued last week show two directions for local property tax bills.
Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell announced last week she will roll back property taxes resulting in lower tax bills for residents in October.
“I am rolling taxes back almost a mill,” Heiskell announced Thursday, Sept. 1, as she finished evaluating the county’s upcoming fiscal year which begins in October.
This will no doubt be welcome news to many residents who have raised concerns over a recent property reevaluation required by the state of Georgia to bring Walker County’s property values in
line with the rest of the state.
According to Walker County Chief Appraiser Terry Gilreath, the county was placed under a consent order by the state which stipulated the reevaluation occur or the county could face steep fines.
“This evaluation was an effort to equalize our ratio with state law requirements,” Gilreath said.
Under the states requirements, reevaluation notices went out to residents with an estimated tax liability owed which did not reflect what the current rate of millage would be for the upcoming year.
The Walker County school system recently released a statement saying it would roll back taxes on residents for the upcoming year as well.
“While the county budget can always use increased revenue, the increases on property owners as reflected by the reevaluation notices is unrealistic,” Heiskell said.
Property taxes notices will go out to residents in October and will be due in December.
The Chickamauga City Board of Education on Thursday, Sept. 1, announced its intention to increase the 2016 property taxes it will levy this year by 1.14 percentage over the rollback millage rate.
The board of tax assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the city. When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the city indicate there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and adjust the assessment. This is called a reassessment.
When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a roll back millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.
For equalization funding, a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate is required, therefore, before the Chickamauga City Board of Education recommends a final millage rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at the Chickamauga City Board of Education Central Office, 402 Cove Road, Chickamauga, on Sept. 12 at 4:45 p.m. and on Sept. 19 at 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Comments from School Superintendent Melody Day
“Recent reassessment of property in Chickamauga resulted in increased values of many properties in the city. This is a positive indicator for the city digest and means the same tax rate will actually bring more money into the school system. However, even though the millage rate will remain at 14.25 mills, this is considered a tax increase due to the fact that more money will be collected. By law, the school system must advertise this as a “Notice of Property Tax Increase” and also host three hearings to allow the public ample opportunity to participate.
“In 2015, the state made changes to Georgia Law requiring school systems to increase the effective millage rate or lose equalization funding. At the time the millage rate for the city of Chickamauga was 12 mills and had been since 2010. It was necessary to increase the millage to 14.25 mills to continue receiving equalization funding from the state. The Chickamauga City School System will receive in excess of one million dollars in equalization funding this school year and must ensure the millage rate meets the state requirement to maintain this state funding. The tax increase due to the reassessment is minimal, $6.44 per year for a home with a fair market value of $100,000. I also want to stress this is not an increase in the millage rate, and has nothing to do with the current construction project or any need within the school system. It is solely for the purpose of meeting state law and will result in over a million dollars in funding from the state to the school system.
“Hearings will be held at the Chickamauga City Board of Education at the following date and times: September 12th at 4:45 p.m. and September 19th at 11:30 a.m. and 6: 00 p.m.
“If you have questions, suggestions, or need information, please feel free to attend a public hearing for clarification.”