The Board of Commissioners Proposes Lower Millage Rate to Minimize the Impact of Higher Appraisals on Walker County Property Owners

The Walker County Board of Commissioners will hold three public hearings in August to provide citizens with a better understanding of a proposed millage rate rollback. The reduced rate aims to lessen the impact of higher property appraisals. Another year of surging home sales increased property values an average of 30% in Walker County.

The Board of Commissioners proposes to roll back the millage rate used to calculate property taxes to the lowest point since 2012 to balance taxes associated with higher property values. However, due to another year of substantial growth, the new millage rate will trigger state requirements to advertise a minor property tax increase.

The proposed millage rate of 5.735 mills in the unincorporated area represents a 16% reduction over 2022 when the rate was 6.8283 mills. Georgia requires advertisement of a property tax increase when the proposed millage rate is higher than the “rollback rate,” a complex state formula used to compute millage based on the value added from reassessments, growth in sales taxes and other revenue. In this instance, the Walker County Board of Commissioners proposes a millage rate 6.22% above the “rollback rate” of 5.399 mills in the unincorporated area. The increase of 0.336 mills will generate an additional $10,537 in property tax revenue over last year.

Public hearings on the millage rate will take place on the following dates/times and locations:

• Thursday, August 10 at 8:00 a.m. – Walker County Civic Center (10052 Hwy 27, Rock Spring)

• Thursday, August 10 at 6:30 p.m. – Walker County Courthouse Annex III (201 S Main St., LaFayette)

• Thursday, August 24 at 7:00 p.m. – Walker County Courthouse Annex III (201 S Main St., LaFayette)

The proposed millage rate for a home with a fair market value of $225,000 would result in a property tax increase of $29.54 in the unincorporated area, which is about $2.46 per month. Owners of that same home living in an incorporated area would save about $157 annually, since the proposed incorporated rate of 7.390 mills is less than last year’s rate of 9.853.

The millage rate will be set at the Board of Commissioners regular meeting at 7:00 p.m. on August 24.

The Board of Commissioners is the governing authority of Walker County. There are four district commissioners and an at-large chairperson.  Along with presiding over meetings, the chairperson administers the affairs and day to day business of the county.

The Board meets at 7:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at Courthouse Annex III, 201 S Main Street in LaFayette. Click here to see the latest meeting agenda. The calendar is adjusted in November and December due to holidays.

District 1 & 2 Commissioners serve an initial two-year term, while the District 3 & 4 Commissioners and the Chairperson serve four-year terms.  After 2022, all commissioner seats will become four-year terms.  This means every two years, two of the district commissioner positions will be on the ballot.

• Chairman – Shannon Whitfield
• District 1 Commissioner – Robert Blakemore
• District 2 Commissioner – Mark Askew
• District 3 Commissioner – Brian Hart
• District 4 Commissioner – Robert Stultz(Vice Chair)

Which district are you in? Click here to view a large version of the map.

Read the state legislation that changed Walker County’s form of government from a Sole Commissioner to a Board of Commissioners.

Read about the transition process from a Sole Commissioner to a Board of Commissioners.