What lowering the millage rate could mean for property owners in Columbia County

EVANS, Ga. (WJBF) – Some homeowners in Columbia County have questions about proposed changes to the millage rate made by the board of commissioners.

County leaders began discussions at Tuesday night’s meeting about rolling the millage rate back, and property owners are trying to figure out what this means for them.

Property values continue to rise in Columbia County, but it’s a problem Chief Appraiser Morgan Aune says goes beyond the last 4 years.

“What we hear from the experts who study this kind of stuff is that we’ve basically been in a housing market depression for decades now,” Aune said.

His office is responsible for setting the value of the property.

He says the rise in values has been more noticeable since the COVID-19 pandemic, and at the time it was due to the low supply of houses.

“You had a lot of people wanting to buy, and interest rates started going down. There was a lot of opportunity there for people to get a house, but there weren’t any houses to buy–houses were staying on the market for one day,” said Aune.

But now times have changed.

Commissioners are considering lowering the millage rate, which is the amount of taxes you pay per $1,000 of a property’s value.

County Manager Scott Johnson says this wouldn’t necessarily mean taxes would go down.

“Assuming your house had no increase in value this year–and we reduce the millage rate–then effectively you would pay less taxes,” said Johnson. “If your value did go up, and the county lowered the millage rate, it would depend on how much they lowered the millage rate to decide whether or not it would be the same amount of taxes you paid last year or a lower amount of taxes–it would depend.”

The county uses three millage rates, including a maintenance and operation rate, debt service rate, along with a millage rate that is dedicated to the fire department.

Johnson says in effect, commissioners are trying to mitigate rising home values by lowering the millage rate – hoping to keep property taxes as low as possible.

“We live in a community in Columbia County where quality of life is good, and property values are going up. So, the commissioners have to do what they can to combat those values going up by lowering the millage rate–which we have done 8 out of the last 9 years,” Johnson said.

“So for people to think that Columbia County is raising taxes–that is actually a misconception. We are lowering taxes. Property values are going up, and that’s what is affecting the tax bill.”

Two more public hearings are scheduled at the Evans Government Center Auditorium over the next two weeks.

The first is next Tuesday, July 23rd at 8:30 a.m., with the second being August 6th at 6 p.m.

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