Demorest citizens won’t have to worry about a property tax increase next year after the city council unanimously voted to roll back the millage rate.
The council voted to roll back the millage rate to 5.16 at their Tuesday night budget hearing, during which the council explored the city’s budget for 2022 in-depth with City Accountant Alan Burton.
At the council’s last meeting, Mayor Rick Austin asked the council to vote in favor of a millage rollback. However, the council wasn’t comfortable voting on a rollback rate without seeing the draft budget Burton had laid out for the city. After their Oct. 19 discussion, though, the council felt confident in moving forward with their millage rate decision.
“Just looking at the numbers, I think we’re good,” Councilman Nathan Davis said. “I feel like I had to digest a little bit of this and kind of look at things. I don’t think I had a decision [at the last meeting], it wasn’t a decision, I just wanted to think about it a little bit more. I think it’s a good idea to go ahead and roll that rate back.”
Property values across Habersham County increased this year, causing higher property taxes throughout the county. Habersham municipalities, like Demorest, are working to protect their citizens from the financial hardships of increasing property taxes by rolling back their millage rates.
“The points [for rolling back the millage rate] have been made in multiple weeks and they’re being made again tonight,” Austin said. “We have a lot of senior citizens and they’re living on fixed incomes, if you’ve filled up the gas tank lately it’s costing a lot more to do that. Inflation has hit.”
The finalized budget for the city will be completed within the next few days, and the city will hold its budget and millage rate public hearing and final vote on Oct. 26 at 6:00 p.m. in the Demorest Municipal Court.
A recording of the meeting is available on the city’s Facebook page.
