During the August Bryan County Board of Commissioners meeting, the commission voted to roll back the millage rate from 8.561 to 8.314 mills. It marks the fourth consecutive year that the county has rolled back its millage rate after holding steady at 9.150 in 2014, 2015, 2016. The new rate will be reflected on the tax bills property owners will receive this fall.
A millage rate is the amount of tax per $1,000 of the assessed value, which is 40 percent of the fair market value, of a property, according to the Georgia Department of Revenue. For example, if a property is valued at $100,000, then $40,000 of that property is taxed, which would lead to a tax bill of $163.32. If there is homestead exemption on the property, the tax amount would be even lower.
We are thrilled to find ourselves in a position where we can roll back the millage rate for our citizens, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has left many people in difficult financial situations. When the commission can save residents money without having to cut back on countywide services – something that is not always possible due to budget constraints – we are eager to go ahead and do it.
Property taxes fund countywide services that are provided to everyone who lives in Bryan County, regardless of whether they are based in the cities of Richmond Hill, Pembroke or unincorporated areas. Those services include the sheriff’s department, the courts system, the county road system, elections, emergency medical services, libraries, recreation, tax assessor, tax commissioner and more. In the county, we pride ourselves on being able to offer these top-quality services to contribute to the excellent quality of life our citizens have come to enjoy.
The commission’s handling of the millage rate over the past four years basically equates to a savings of over $1.2 million for Bryan County residents. We value our taxpayers and are fiscally responsible with the funds we are given. County leaders will continue to watch every penny and seek cost-savings to further improve services and provide savings to our citizens. Thank you for trusting us to look out for our county’s population.
We feel there was never a more important time than right now to make sure those who call our community home understand we have their best interests at heart and will continue to look out for them in any way we can.
Infinger is chairman of the Bryan County Board of Commissioners.