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Proposed county budget grows
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PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING A PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX INCREASE The Bryan County Board of Commissioners has tentatively adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in county property taxes in the unincorporated area by 13.33 %; the city of Pembroke by 24.98 %; the city of Richmond Hill by 15.38%; the Cove Paving District by 12.44%; the Jerico Paving District by 4.24%; and the Belfast Pines Paving District by 13.33%.When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback 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. The budget tentatively adopted by the Bryan County Board of Commissioners requires that a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate, therefore, before the Bryan County Board of Commissioners may finalize the tentative budget and set 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 County Courthouse, 116 Lanier Street, in Pembroke, Georgia on September 16, 2009 at 10:00 AM; the County Courthouse Annex, Ford Avenue in Richmond Hill, Georgia on September 16, 2009 at 6:00 PM; and the County Courthouse, 116 Lanier Street, in Pembroke, Georgia on September 23, 2009 at 9:00 AM.

The Bryan County 2010 draft budget has grown from $16.7 million to $17.5 million.

The increase, county officials say, is based on the Board of Commissioners’ proposed millage rate of 8.5. Bryan County was facing a shortfall of $400,000 with the previous draft budget of $16.7 million.

"The proposed 8.5 mills will bridge the gap," said Bryan County Administrator Phil Jones in an e-mail Thursday. "The money above the ($400,000) shortfall will be committed to Harris Trail Road. The budget will be adjusted up to $17,548,952."

In a press release sent Friday afternoon, the Board of Commissioners stated that the tentative 8.5 millage rate will increase property taxes in the unincorporated area of the county by 13.33 percent.

Read more in the Bryan County News.

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