City of Savannah, GA

06/28/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/28/2024 08:10

City of Savannah to Consider Maintaining Lowest Millage Rate Since 1987

______________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 28, 2024

CONTACT:

Office of Communications

[email protected]

City of Savannah to Consider Maintaining Lowest Millage Rate Since 1987

SAVANNAH - The City of Savannah will consider adopting a 2024 millage rate of 12.2 mills. A millage rate of 12.2 mills is unchanged from the 2023 adopted millage rate and is also the same millage rate used to develop the City's 2024 budget plan. By maintaining the millage rate at 12.2 mills, the City will maintain the lowest property rate since 1987.

As required in state law, this news release serves as a notice that the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Savannah are considering adopting a millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 9.00 percent over the rollback millage rate for properties that increased in valuation and have not obtained a Stephens-Day exemption. The 9.00 percent increase over the rollback millage rate will equal the tax rate adopted in 2023 of 12.2 mills.

When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that 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 proposed millage rate of 12.2 mills is an increase of 1.004 mills over the rollback millage rate of 11.196 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home that does not have Stephens-Day exemption with a fair market value of $100,000 is approximately $40.16 and the proposed tax increase for a non-Stephens-Day exemption property with a fair market value of $500,000 is approximately $200.80.

Georgia law requires the city to advertise the rate of 12.2 as a tax "increase" because the rollback rate might not be adopted. While the anticipated revenues derived from this rate are higher than the rollback rate, the proposed rate itself is unchanged from 2023, as seen in the chart that follows. The proposed millage rate of 12.2 mills represents maintaining the lowest tax rate since 1987.

Should the city council choose to adopt the 12.2 rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase over the rollback rate.

All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on the property tax rate at City Hall, located at 2 E. Bay St., on July 11 at 10:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m. or July 25 at 2:00 p.m.

The public may offer comment in one of two ways:

  1. Anyone with interest in speaking on this agenda item may submit evidence, including written comments, to [email protected]or by calling (912) 651-6441. Written comments become public record and are shared with the Mayor and Aldermen prior to the council meeting.
  2. Members of the public may come to City Hall council chambers to share their thoughts with City Council.

City of Savannah Millage Rates

YEAR

MILLAGE

YEAR

MILLAGE

YEAR

MILLAGE

YEAR

MILLAGE

1971

26.00

1986

9.00

2001

13.70

2016

12.48

1972

30.00

1987

11.30

2002

13.70

2017

12.48

1973

28.00

1988

13.30

2003

13.30

2018

13.40

1974

28.00

1989

13.30

2004

13.10

2019

12.856

1975

27.00

1990

13.30

2005

12.90

2020

12.739

1976

27.00

1991

14.30

2006

12.70

2021

12.739

1977

9.00

1992

14.30

2007

12.50

2022

12.20

1978

9.00

1993

15.90

2008

12.50

2023

12.20

1979

8.50

1994

17.46

2009

12.50

1980

8.50

1995

17.46

2010

13.00

1981

8.50

1996

17.46

2011

12.50

1982

8.50

1997

17.46

2012

12.50

1983

8.50

1998

16.93

2013

12.48

1984

9.00

1999

16.50

2014

12.48

1985

9.00

2000

14.80

2015

12.48

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