Oglethorpe County property tax per capita relative to neighboring counties.
Property taxes will increase by 9.99% in 2024, despite a lower millage rate in Oglethorpe County. Rising home values drove the increase, but the trend is not unique to property.
Several surrounding counties are experiencing rising costs for just about everything, which is increasing county budgets.
Oglethorpe County’s Board of Commissioners approved the 2024 operating budget of $9.55 million on Aug. 21, an 8.6% increase from this year’s total.
For context, Madison County is set for a 4% property tax increase, Wilkes County will see a 13% property tax increase and Elbert County will have a 25-30% property tax increase.
While every county has unique circumstances, there are a few common factors.
Operating costs for Oglethorpe County have increased significantly over the last five years, Commission Chair Jay Paul said. He said it costs around $750,000 per month to run the county.
Part of this is due to an increase in labor costs.
“It's the labor market,” Oglethorpe County Administrator Josh Hawkins said. “Even where county governments rely on materials or contracts, those materials and contracts are going up because of the labor market on the other end.”
This is reflected in the Board of Education’s budget for 2024.
Instruction expenses totaled slightly more than $15 million in 2023. There is $18,585,988 budgeted for 2024.
The school system lowered its part of the county millage rate for 2024, but with the increase in property taxes, it will collect more, school board chair Becky Soto said in previous Echo reporting.
Hawkins said the Board of Commissioners has also continued to roll back taxes at the county level.
“We have got to figure out a way to make that work on the same number of dollars that we had last year,” he said.
In terms of total property tax collected, Oglethorpe County remains lower than several of its neighbors. Hawkins calculates the property taxes per capita every year as a gauge of where the county stands in comparison.
Oglethorpe County charges $251 per person, Elbert County charges $425, Madison County charges $431 per person and Wilkes County brings in $526 per person.
Wilkes County Commission Chair Sam Moore said millage rates are difficult to compare between counties, but rising costs are clear everywhere.
“It's just the cost of everything,” Moore said. “I mean gas, the road department, the Sheriff's department, the price of vehicles, dealing with trash, EMS. I mean, everything's gone way up.”
These increases have created challenges for rural areas.
“It really got backed up during COVID,” Moore said. “We've had to house state prisoners more. It's just a lot of things that have built up in these different counties, especially the rural counties.”