Thursday March 28th, 2024 3:48PM

Gainesville sets public hearings for FY 2018 budget

By AccessWDUN Staff

Two weeks ago, Gainesville City Manager Bryan Lackey told city council members he anticipated no tax increase related to the General Fund for FY 2018. While that's still true, city taxpayers could still see property taxes rise because of a special tax adopted by Gainesville voters in 1924. 

Finance authorities for the city on Friday morning announced plans to partially roll back the Gainesville's millage rate, which will mean an increase to the 2017 property taxes it will levy this year by 1.42 percent over the full rollback millage rate.

"The millage rate for the General Government entity is being fully rolled back to the calculated rollback rate, resulting in no tax increase for the General Fund," a government statement said. "However, in 1924 voters approved a special tax of not less than 0.750 mills and not more than 1.000 mills for the establishment of recreation systems in the City of Gainesville. Because the calculated rollback millage rate is lower than the minimum rate allowed, setting the millage rate for the Parks and Recreation entity at 0.750 mills is considered a tax increase." 

As a result of the anticipated tax increase for some property owners, the City of Gainesville must hold three public hearings to allow citizen input on the budget before giving final approval to the millage rate. 

The first hearing is set for Thursday, June 1 at 9 a.m. at the Gainesville Administrative Building, Board Room, 300 Henry Ward Way, 3rd Floor in downtown Gainesville.                            

The other two meetings, one on June 6 at 10 a.m. and the other on June 20 at 6 p.m., will be held at the Gainesville Justice Center, Municipal Court Room, 701 Queen City Parkway SW, in Gainesville, Georgia.

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