Bulloch County Commissioners voted Tuesday night to set the tentative millage rate for 2025 without a rollback. The rate meets the legal definition of a tax increase and, therefore, three public hearings will be held.
From the meeting agenda:
O.C.G.A. 48-5-32.1(c) requires the Board of Commissioners to conduct three public hearings prior to levying the M&O millage rate if the Board has tentatively adopted a millage rate in excess of the rollback rate as defined in O.C.G.A. 48-5-32.1(a)(9). The presented resolution tentatively adopts an M&O millage rate of 11.35, which is in excess of the rollback rate but was recommended in the approved budget for this fiscal year. After conducting the three required public hearings, the Board will need to levy the M&O millage rate for this calendar year, which can be set at any rate as long as it does not exceed the tentatively adopted millage rate of 11.35.
Commissioner Nick Newkirk asked if the fire district fee changes would need hearings and advertisement like the millage rate, which county attorney Akins would not be necessary.
The meeting agenda packet did not include the 5-Year Tax Digest or any specific details, as is often standard with the adoption of a tentative rate. The 5-Year Tax Digest shows a lookback and shows a percentage increase for each component of the entire digest. Specifics were not discussed by commissioners and no details regarding the hearing dates were discussed.
The tentative rate was approved in a 5-1 vote with Commissioner Newkirk voting NO.
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