Newspaper Page Text
Page 2— Wednesday, January 3, 2024, The True Citizen
Property tax bills are on their way
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Now that millage rates have
been determined, property tax
bills are on their way.
The Board of Commission
ers voted to set the county mill-
age rates Wednesday, Decem
ber 27 after County Manager
Merv Waldrop presented them
with three options.
According to the Depart
ment of Revenue, if counties
elect to set their millage rate
higher than the rollback rate,
they are required to hold three
public hearings, place notices
of the increase in the paper and
issue press releases. However,
that did not apply this year
since the County only looked
at rollback figures.
“The good news is that tax
digest is up, not only from
Plant Vogtle, which we have
gotten used to, but also from
revaluation of residential prop
erty as well as commercial
revaluation throughout the
county,” Waldrop stated. “That
means we need to lower the
rates from where we are in or
der to not have the three public
hearings.”
The three options Waldrop
presented the panel with in
cluded an option containing the
lowest rates the BOC could ap
prove and still meet the budget.
It included an unincorporated
rate of 3.9 mills, incorporated
rate of 4.087 mills and fire dis
trict rate of 1.07. The highest
option Waldrop presented was
millage rates of 4.758 unin
corporated, 4.923 incorporated
and 2.696 fire district.
However, the BOC unani
mously approved a middle-
of-the-road option with rates
including, 4.5 mills for unin
corporated, 4.665 mills for in
corporated and 2.5 mills for the
fire district millage rate. The
2023 rates are a reduction from
2022’s millage rates of 5.137
for unincorporated, 5.037 for
incorporated and 2.696 for
fire district. The panel also
approved the Burke County
Public Schools decision to
reduce their millage rate from
13.5 mills previously, to 12.5
mills currently.
Tax Commissioner Marian S.
Jackson approached the board
afterward with a request the
BOC implore the Department
of Revenue to calculate utility
values sooner in the year.
“I want to encourage you
as a board, as the governing
authority, to petition the state
to expediate our values so that
we are not pushed at the end of
the year to get a tax bill out,”
she stated.
Jackson said her office has
been flooded with inquiries
from residents about their
property tax bills, eager to pay
their taxes before the end of the
year. She said her office would
be pushed to be able to produce
property tax bills by December
29 after the BOC’s vote on De
cember 27. She asked the panel
to begin petitioning the Depart
ment of Revenue in August
2024 to begin the calculation
process.
Commissioner Tommy Nix
pointed out he has reached out
to House Rep. Gloria Frazier
Tax Commissioner Marian S. Jackson approached the BOC
December 27 with a request that they implore the Depart
ment of Revenue to calculate utility values sooner in the year.
Fleming
Continued from front
Barry Fleming (far left) is seen representing the county during the Board of Commissioner’s
meeting last month.
a motion to remove Fleming
as county attorney. However,
after a 3-2 vote against Abrams’
motion, Fleming retained
his post as county attorney.
Abrams and Kelly voted in
favor of terminating Fleming,
while Commissioners Evans
Martin, Art Lively and Tommy
Nix voted in favor of keeping
him employed.
Abrams and Kelly spoke
out again during the June 8,
2021 meeting about $850,499
in funding appropriated
to Columbia County after
the judicial split through
an amendment which was
supported by Fleming.
The BOC is now likely to
retain Attorney Adam Nelson
for legal representation,
according to County Manager
Merv Waldrop. Nelson has
often advised the BOC during
Fleming’s absence and while
attending Finance Committee
meetings.
Third District Columbia
County Commissioner
Gary Richardson seeks to
replace Fleming in the State
Legislature. However, Kemp
must call a special election
within 10 days of Fleming's
resignation, possibly to occur
on the same ballot as Georgia’s
March 12 presidential primary.
and Senator Max Burns for
assistance in the matter.
Waldrop explained that the
Department of Revenue re
ceives returns from the utilities
by April 1. They then review
and approve the utility digest.
However, Burke County is
typically on the back burner
while the state department
reviews the other counties.
However, Jackson pointed out
setting the millage rate doesn’t
just affect property tax bills,
but also motor vehicle regis
tration renewals. People bom
during the first few months of
the year have been unable to
renew their vehicle registra
tions because the new millage
rate was not set.
“If you are a January or Feb
ruary baby, you probably got
a renewal notice that says the
amount was zero,” she stated.
Jenkins County
Board of Assessors
WE'RE #
HIRING!!
right now
JOIN OUR TEAM
The Jenkins County Board of Assessors is seeking to fill the
position of Appraisal Clerk in the Tax Assessor's Office. This is a
full-time position responsible for performing clerical and data
entry work. If you have any of the following apply today!
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Pick up an application today
from the Tax Assessors Office
today. Or you may email your
resume to the following email.
vickypatrick@jenkinscountyga.gov
APPLICATIONS MUST BE
RECEIVED BY JANUARY 15,2024
TO BE CONSIDERED.
Call 478-982-4939 for any
questions about the
position.
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