The Habersham County Commission announced Wednesday plans to hold three public hearings amid a proposed property tax increase.
According to a press release from the county, the commission intends to increase the 2023 property taxes it will levy this year by 8.76% over the rollback millage rate.
The board of tax assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county every year.
"When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicates there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and adjust the assessment," the press release said. "This is called a reassessment. 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 adopted by the commission at its June 26 meeting required a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate. Therefore, three public hearings must be held to allow the public to express their opinion on the increase.
Concerned citizens and members of the public are invited to attend the following public hearings on the matter:
- Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. - Habersham County Courthouse in the Jury Assembly Room, 295 Llewellyn Street, Clarkesville
- Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. - Habersham County Administration Building in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room (main floor), 130 Jacob’s Way, Clarkesville
- Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. - Habersham County Courthouse in the Jury Assembly Room, 295 Llewellyn Street, Clarkesville
