County millage rates will decrease for the third consecutive year after a unanimous decision by the Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners Monday night.
“That’s always a goal — three years in a row,” Chairman Jay Paul said.
The rate, which is the amount of tax dollars for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value, will be 5.7596 for city or incorporated areas, down 2.313% from last year. Unincorporated area rates will be 5.475, a decrease of 0.743%.
However, the county’s portion of the millage rate isn’t the only deciding factor in property taxes.
The Board of Education set its tentative millage rate at 16.02 on Aug. 25. This rate is an increase from 15.82 in 2023, but less than the 16.65 rate in 2022 and 18.40 rate in 2021.
The BOE will host a final rate hearing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17 before a vote during its work session at 7 p.m.
The Board of Education rate will then head to the Board of Commissioners for final approval. The complete 2024 millage rate was 23.83 mills, which is higher than the combined proposed rate of 21.78 for 2025.
The BOC also unanimously approved the county general fund operating budget of more than $10.2 million for 2025. The county’s 2024 operating budget was $9.5 million, and the 2023 budget was nearly $8.8 million.
The board also examined an ordinance amending the Oglethorpe County Code to clarify that animals may be impounded at the Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter (MOAS).
“I understand that this proposal has caused a lot of heartburn for some folks, and I just wanted to say that the intent was not to create any problems,” county attorney Chip Ferguson said.
Rather than approving or shelving the ordinance, the county unanimously withdrew it and will hold meetings to discuss it.
“It had been said in the past that our ordinance would not allow us to impound dogs at the MOAS, and so the intent of the change was to just allow for that,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson said the next step will be getting members of the county together with MOAS to figure out an arrangement. These meetings would include University of Georgia law professor Lisa Milot, who has experience with animal ordinances and would facilitate the discussion.
The BOC also approved the adoption of amended environmental health fees for Oglethorpe County. Most fees are being raised for the first time since 2011, including swimming pool inspections, septic tank inspections, food inspections and more.
A few environmental health fees will decrease, such as individual water supply sampling, but most fees are being raised $10-150.
In other business, the BOC:
- Approved Kurt Wolfe’s request to rezone land on Elberton Street from general agriculture to single-family residential, as recommended unanimously by the zoning board.
- Approved Mary Jean Thompson’s request to rezone land on Vesta Palmetto Road from general agriculture to agriculture residential, as recommended unanimously by the zoning board.
- Approved Daniel Brubaker’s request to rezone land on Smithonia Road from general agriculture to single-family residential, as recommended unanimously by the zoning board.
- Approved Tiffany Thornton’s request to rezone land on Bunker Hill Road from general agriculture to single-family residential, as recommended unanimously by the zoning board.
- Approved Darrius Tompkins’ variance request for the Stormwater Detention Ordinance on Thaxton Wynne Road. The zoning board unanimously denied its approval previously.
- Approved William Cunningham’s request to rezone land on Union Point Road from general agriculture to agriculture residential, as recommended unanimously by the zoning board.
- Approved the county’s motion to rezone seven pieces of intensive agriculture land to general agriculture. The zoning board unanimously recommended all of their approvals.
- Approved the rezoning of three pieces of land from single-family residential to general agriculture, as recommended unanimously by the zoning board.
- Approved the seal coating project after reviewing a quote from Athens Area Asphalt, which will seal coat and re-stripe the horseshoe area around the courthouse.
- Approved the Oglethorpe County Little League’s proposal for equal funding of the construction of a second batting cage, with the BOC paying $10,000.
- Approved the appointment of Corie Robinson to the Oglethorpe County Board of Health.
- Heard from Comer’s Brad Jones about his concerns regarding USPS requesting that he and his neighbors move their mailboxes due to the condition of Almond Drive.