Property taxes are the primary funding source for local government Property taxes are the primary funding source for county government The average county millage rate including schools in Georgia is 30 mills County government is responsible for providing for the health, safety and welfare of its citizens The economic downturn is reducing funds available to provide county services Public safety in your community is funded primarily by property taxes County government spends millions each year to maintain roads and bridges Counties, cities and boards of education set their budgets independently and have no authority over one another The demand for county services such as health departments increases during tough economic times Declining revenues are forcing local governments to reduce or eliminate many programs and services County government investment of tax dollars in infrastructure like water, sewer and roads leads to economic development A mill equals $1 per $1,000 of net assessed property value Property is assessed at 40% of its appraised value Many services that your county provides are mandated by the State of Georgia

Don’t be surprised when you open your 2009 property tax bills. Get the facts!

There may be several reasons why your property tax bill may have gone up. One of the reasons for an increase in 2009 property tax bills is that a credit that you have received on your bill since 1999, called the Homeowners Tax Relief Grant, is not available this year. In the past, this credit has resulted in a $200 - $300 reduction to your property tax bill if you own your own home and have claimed the homestead exemption.

Since 1999, the Georgia General Assembly and the Governor have funded the Homeowners Tax Relief Grant credit. This credit appeared as a line item on your property tax bill that was subtracted from the total amount of property taxes that you had to pay. It did not change the amount of property tax due to your local government, it simply reduced the amount that you had to pay out of your own pocket.

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A community information project by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia