Forsyth Co. tax increase in the works; public hearings on proposal set

CUMMING - Add Forsyth County residents to the list of people in Georgia facing the prospect of a tax increase this year.<br /> <br /> The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners Wednesday announced its intention to keep the county's property tax rate at the current level. So, because of the growth in the tax digest, that means an increase in property taxes of 1.76 percent over the rollback millage rate.<br /> <br /> Residents of a number of other counties in the state, including Hall, are also facing possible hikes in their property taxes, as well.<br /> <br /> A growth of 5.2% in Forsyth County's tax digest means that, while the county is maintaining the same millage rate, the anticipated total collections will increase. Of the 5.2% growth, new construction in 2013 has added 3.4% to the tax digest. The remaining 1.8% comes from increased values from reassessments.<br /> <br /> County officials say any change in an individual tax bill will depend upon the change in assessed valuation for that property.<br /> <br /> 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 or growth occurred.<br /> <br /> The preliminary budget presented to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners is based on a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate, therefore, before the Board of Commissioners may 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.<br /> <br /> The public hearings are scheduled as follows:<br /> <br /> &#61623; Thursday, July 3 at 11 a.m.<br /> <br /> &#61623; Thursday, July 3 at 5 p.m.<br /> <br /> &#61623; Thursday, July 17 at 6 p.m.<br /> <br /> All three will be held at the Forsyth County Administration Building. The county commission has scheduled adoption of the millage rate for July 17 at 7 p.m., following the last hearing.<br /> <br /> <br />

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