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Page 12 September 10, 2023 StarNews www.starnewsgaonline.com
Villa Rica City Council votes to reduce millage rate from 6.250 to 5.822 mils
Also, council sets date for Special Election same as November 7th General Election: Special Election for Ward 3 seat vacated by Leslie McPherson who is running for mayor
story by Janice Daniel
The Mayor and Council of the City of Villa
Rica met on August 29th, 2023 at 6 p.m., at a
Special Called Meeting for the 3rd and final
Public Hearing on the millage rate. Council
voted to reduce millage rate from 6.250 to
5.822. Also, council set the date for a Special
Election same as General Election on
November 7th to fill the Ward 3 seat vacated
with the resignation of Leslie McPherson who
is running for the mayoral seat.
At the 2nd Public Hearing held August 22,
2023, Finance Director Jennifer Halhnan, gave
a slide presentation that showed Villa Rica’s
changes in total digest for both Douglas and
Carroll counties (City of Villa Rica is located in
both) combined is a $165,390,406 increase
(including exemptions) or 19.28% over 2022.
Of this number, 8.18% is due to inflationary
growth and 11.10% is new growth. Using the
state’s required calculation of a “rollback” mil
lage rate to offset any inflationary increase to
the digest resulted in a rollback rate of 0.428.
2022 Millage Rate for Villa Rica was 6.250, so
subtracting 0.428 from 6.250 results in a 2023
Rollback Millage Rate of 5.822 mils.
During Public Comments, citizen Leslie
McPherson said, “we really should consider
rolling back” and said that other cities around
Villa Rica are going with the rollback number
or at least not raising the millage rate.
At the 3rd hearing, several citizens spoke out
against keeping the same millage rate or not
raising it. Peg Taylor of 2120 Osprey Cove
asked council to please vote for the rollback
number. She said small businesses are failing
and homeowners are having to find ways to
“tighten our belt, I’m sure you guys are pretty
smart enough to save $438,000.”
Stephanie Wannoth said the Fair Market
Value of her home was $241,000 in 2020, and
in 2023 it jumped to $436,000. She said she
had her home appraised last year and the value
was $330,000. “We are paying taxes in an
inflated market,” and that small businesses are
still trying to dig out of the hit from COVID,
and now a double-hit from taxes.
Doug Lang of 262 South Carroll Road said
that even though he lives in a small home and
$50 or $60 a year “we could afford”, but peo
ple whose taxes jumped up to $1,100, for them
it’s really a “kick in the shin.” Many people are
suffering. “It just seems the wrong thing at the
wrong time,” but he added directly to Mayor
Gil McDougal, “raising taxes during an elec
tion year is a pretty gutsy move.”
Charlotte Evans of 640 Clearview Street said
that she and her husband live in a small home,
nowhere near what the average home assessed
value is, and their taxes jumped by $400. “A lot
of people are really stmggling to pay for basic
life necessities. There are ways to save money,
and putting it all onto the citizens may not be
the best idea.” She asked council to rollback.
Barbara Jean Brown, 511 Punkintown Road,
said people used to want to be inside the City
limits of Villa Rica. “It’s time to think about the
community folks,” she said. She said that some
towns in the surrounding area have rolled back
their taxes, and urged Villa Rica to do the same.
Christy Chastain of 237 Berkley Drive also
talked about the cumulative effect of property
tax increases. She said the Fair Market Value of
her house went up $15,000 in 2020, $27,000 in
2021, $40,000 in 2022, and $66,000 this year.
“That’s absurd,” she plainly stated. “Taxing on
these inflated values doesn’t make a tot of
sense. When we’re having hard times we have
to tighten our own budget, making cuts to save
money. What are y’all doing to save money?”
Mayor McDougal encouraged those who
believe their home is overvalued to file an
appeal with the county, to look at the informa
tion the county uses to assess their home. The
mayor also pointed out that the way property is
assessed is regulated by the State of Georgia,
and it’s not done at all at the city level. He said
that he spoke with the head of the Tax
Assessor’s Office [Chief Appraiser Hubert
Sparks], who told him that Carroll County “still
has not met the threshold for state valuations.”
Mayor McDougal also pointed out “our city
is growing, and the tax digest helps set the mil
lage rate. We have reached the point to where
the new growth is exceeding the inflationary
numbers. It is the impact of inflationary growth
that impacts the taxpayer the most. By continu
ing to grow carefully, we hope to lighten the
toad on taxpayers of the city. Therefore, I am
recommending today that this Council of Villa
Rica rollback the millage rate to 5.822 and we
will find a way to cut $438,000 out of the 2024
Budget.”
The mayor’s statement was met with
applause from the audience and agreement by
the council who voted unanimously to rollback
Villa Rica’s Millage Rate to 5.822.
The Public Hearing was adjourned, and the
mayor and council went on to an item of busi
ness: resolution to call for a Special Election
for Ward 3 Council seat due to the resignation
of Leslie McPherson to run for the mayoral
seat, and to set qualifying dates for this elec
tion. The Special Election will mn concurrently
with the General Election on Tuesday,
November 7, 2023. Meeting was adjourned.
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A Message from your
Tax Commissioner
Tax bills are going out the beginning of October.
In March of this year Governor Brian Kemp along with the General
Assembly of the State of Georgia enacted the Homestead Tax Relief
Grant (HTRG) program, in accordance with O.C.G.A. §36-89-1. This
is a One-Time tax reduction program for all eligible homeowners who
have an approved Homestead Exemption in plane on their primary
place of residence.
Property owners will receive the tax relief grant in the form of a
$18,000 reduction in the assessed value of their homestead property.
Therefore, the tax reduction amounts will vary amongst property
owners.
Rental Properties and Non-Homestead properties will not be eligible
for the Tax Relief Grant.
For more information visit the Department of Revenue website at:
https://dor.georgia.gov/2023-property-tax-relief-grant.
The tax commissioner V office has moved to 997Newnan Road,
Carrollton, GA for the new administration building to be built at
423 College Street.
•I
•b
Vickie Bearden
Carroll County Tax Commissioner
432 College Street
Carrollton, Georgia 30117
770-830-5843