The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted for a full rollback of the general fund millage rate.
The 7.209 rate for the general fund represents a rollback of 2.58-percent, according to information released by county officials. The 2018 total property tax millage rate for the county will be 13.319, as compared to 13.51 for 2017.
Chief Financial Officer Maria Woods reported that the value of taxable property in Gwinnett grew by about $1.6 billion, or 5.6 percent, since 2017.
“Such growth in the digest allows the county to roll back the millage rate and still fund essential services in our budget,” said Woods. “We are fortunate that our digest has recovered.”
District 2 Commissioner Lynette Howard said in a press statement that Gwinnett residents will continue to see the same high level of service and performance from Gwinnett County.
“It’s always good to be able to roll back the millage rate,” said Howard. “Unlike many places where tax cuts result in cuts in popular services, we’re able to lower people’s taxes and still improve services for our residents and businesses. We’re committed to low taxes and great service.”
District 4 Commissioner John Heard said the growth in the tax digest reflects well on the county’s business environment, which benefits everyone.
“I believe Gwinnett County is in the best place fiscally that’s it’s been in more than 30 years,” Heard said. “I’m very encouraged by the robust growth in the tax digest, which makes the load a little lighter for everyone.
The annual millage rate and individual annual property assessments determine each property owner’s property tax for County operations. Property tax bills also include school taxes, which are usually the larger portion of the total. For properties within certain cities, the tax bill may also include city taxes.
State law requires counties to publish a rollback millage rate for the general fund, which is a rate that would produce the same total revenue as the previous year’s millage rate had no reassessments occurred. A mill is one dollar of tax for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
The millage rates for special service districts created in 2013 and countywide levies for recreation remain unchanged from last year. Millage rates for service districts in Gwinnett are based on property location and county services provided, such as police, fire, and emergency medical. Details on millage rates are available online at www.gwinnettcounty.com.
Property tax bills for Gwinnett County should be in the mail by mid-August. Payments will be due by mid-October.
