Rockdale BOC proposes 45% property tax hike, public invited to public hearings

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC) today announced its intention to adopt a 2022 millage rate, which will require an increase in property taxes by 45.42 percent. This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 20.758 mills, an increase of 6.483 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more than 14.275 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $250,000 is approximately $551.06 and the proposed tax increase for non‐homestead property with a fair market value of $275,000 is approximately $713.13.

Each year, the Board of Assessors (BOA) is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county. When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicate there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the BOA is required by law to redetermine the value of such property and adjust the assessment. This is called a reassessment.

When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires 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 tentative operating expenses of the Rockdale County BOC requires a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate; therefore, before the BOC may finalize the tentative budget and set a final millage rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions about the increase. All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings regarding this increase at the following dates and times:

· Public Hearing: Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022 at 10 a.m. in the Assembly Hall located at 901 Main Street, Conyers, Georgia 30012.

· Public Hearing: Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022 at 6 p.m. in the Assembly Hall located at 901 Main Street, Conyers, Georgia 30012.

· Public Hearing: Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022 at 10 a.m. in the Assembly Hall located at 901 Main Street, Conyers, Georgia 30012. (Board Meeting to Follow)

Further, the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners will hold a Called Meeting to set the millage rate on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022 at 6 p.m. in the Assembly Hall located at 901 Main Street, Conyers, Georgia 30012. (Board Meeting to Follow