Bond millage rate gets cut from 1 mil to .75 mils
With a two to one vote, the Gilmer County board of commissioners voted to keep the maintenance and operations budget millage at 5.5 mils for 2023.
Post commissioners Hubert Parker and John Marshall voted to maintain the rate rather than implement a rollback rate. Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris voted against the move at a sepcial called meeting Aug. 18.
All three commissioners voted to drop the bond millage rate from 1 mil to .75 mils.
Before the vote, Commissioner Parker said when commissioners did the supplemental plan and looking at roads which needed attention, he saw a large need.
Then he heard from parents with children in the park and rec system.
“Park and rec needs some real attention,” he said. “We need a community center.”
He expounded the community center would have sports courts, possibly an indoor walking track and meeting rooms.
In addition, he said many people were not taking into account a property tax credit coming from the state.
Georgia state legislators approved a property tax credit which will reduce the assessed value by $18,000 for the purposes of calculating property taxes.
“It doesn’t seem to resonate,” Parker said. “Some people are going to see, even with this so-called tax increase, a reduction in their taxes, depending on if they have a homestead exemption, depending on the value of their house.”
He said he did not believe a lot of people would see an increase on their property taxes with the credit.
The votes followed three public hearings on maintaining the rate. By Georgia state law, the board has to advertise maintaining the millage rate as a tax increase since the value of taxable property in the county increased.
Commissioners are obligated to calculate a revenue neutral rollback rate when the value of the tax digest increases.
Over the course of the final two public hearings, 15 people spoke against maintaining the millage rate, some at both meetings.
Bill Craig, owner of North Georgia Diamond, told commissioners people are hurting and deciding between gas or medication or between house payments and insurance.
“It’s tough,” he said. “I hear it every day from people that come into my store.”
He said the time may come when they need to raise taxes for revenue
“I just don’t think now is that time,” he said.
Jason Biggs said he is a conservative who believes government should provide safety, security and commerce.
“I don’t have a problem in the world with parks and rec, but it’s just like when you sit down at your kitchen table and you have to prioritize how you are going to spend your money,” he said. “This is the same situation. Don’t burden us with a tax, with additional taxes, for parks and rec when we don’t have the proper public safety equipment, or good enough public safety equipment to handle what is needed.”
Commissioner Parker said he believes park and rec is part of public safety.
“If we keep these kids occupied, then the sheriff is not going to have to deal with them,” Parker said.
Biggs responded.
“So, it’s the government’s responsibility to occupy the children,” Biggs asked.
He said the county was burdened with the courthouse payments.
Kris Ballew and Elizabeth Bennett both said the county should consider impact fees on new developments before any tax increases.
In the final vote of the meeting, the commissioners accepted the school millage rate for collection. This year’s Gilmer County school millage rate is 9.744, which is the rollback rate.