taxes

(Graphic/Eva Saraf)

(Graphic/Eva Saraf)

Unemployment has been stable since 2020

Eva Saraf
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
Unemployment in Oglethorpe County has remained relatively unchanged the past five years, despite challenges in the county and efforts to improve employment opportunities.
Eligible voters from Lexington visited the Oglethorpe County Board of Elections building on Nov. 4, 2025 to vote on FLOST, ESPLOST, homestead exemption tax and public service commissioners. (Ansley Gavlak/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Eligible voters from Lexington visited the Oglethorpe County Board of Elections building on Nov. 4, 2025 to vote on FLOST, ESPLOST, homestead exemption tax and public service commissioners. (Ansley Gavlak/The Oglethorpe Echo)

County voters approve FLOST and ESPLOST

Sophia Eppley
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Oglethorpe County voters approved a new Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) and the renewal of the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) on Tuesday.
The sales tax rate in Oglethorpe County is 8%, with half going toward various local option sales taxes. If FLOST passes Nov. 4, the county's sales tax rate will rise to 9%. (Kimberly Thomas/The Oglethorpe Echo)

The sales tax rate in Oglethorpe County is 8%, with half going toward various local option sales taxes. If FLOST passes Nov. 4, the county's sales tax rate will rise to 9%. (Kimberly Thomas/The Oglethorpe Echo)

What to know about FLOST and ESPLOST

Sophia Eppley and Kimberly Thomas
Thursday, October 16, 2025
What is FLOST? The Floating Local Option Sales Tax is a 1% sales tax to help generate revenue for reducing property taxes. The tax is a portion of House Bill 581 that was passed in March 2024 and approved in last November’s general election.   “We’re expecting it to bring in about $1.

BOE has plans for a senior tax break

Lucy Grey Shields
Thursday, March 20, 2025
The Oglethorpe County Board of Education has created a plan to provide property tax relief for senior citizens. The idea, which is subject to legislative approval and then a ballot referendum, would apply to property owners who are 65 years old or older with no school-aged children in their home.
GRACE MAINS/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO

GRACE MAINS/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO

Delinquent listings head to property sale process

Grace Mains
Thursday, October 5, 2023
There were 34 properties in the delinquent property tax sale section of The Oglethorpe Echo’s Legals listing on Sept. 7. Some amounts were above $9,000 and others were as low as $336.50.   Of those, 11 delinquent tax bills were paid before the Sept.
CASSIDY HETTESHEIMER/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO Oglethorpe County School Superintendent Beverley Levine (left) and Becky Soto, chair of the Board of Education, discuss the 2023 Georgia Milestones scores and other business at a meeting on Tuesday night. The Board of Education will host two public hearings about the millage rate on Friday, Sept. 8.

CASSIDY HETTESHEIMER/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO Oglethorpe County School Superintendent Beverley Levine (left) and Becky Soto, chair of the Board of Education, discuss the 2023 Georgia Milestones scores and other business at a meeting on Tuesday night. The Board of Education will host two public hearings about the millage rate on Friday, Sept. 8.

BOE proposes lower millage rate

Caleb Baldwin and Cassidy Hettesheimer
Thursday, September 7, 2023
The Oglethorpe County Board of Education presented a lower millage rate for 2024, although the amount of taxes collected will increase by nearly 10%. The BOE said the new millage rate, which is the amount of tax dollars for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value, would be 15.
LILLY KERSH/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO

LILLY KERSH/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO

Property values part of formula to figure taxes

Julianne Akers
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
The appraisal notices that arrived in mailboxes last week showed a 22.5% average increase in property values in Oglethorpe County. The official tax bills, adjusted for the new millage rate, will be sent out this fall.
Exterior of the Tax Commissioner office in Oglethorpe County (File/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Exterior of the Tax Commissioner office in Oglethorpe County (File/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Q&A: Caldwell provides clarity to tax increase

Bobby Andrews
Saturday, October 8, 2022
Kem Caldwell, the chief tax appraiser for Oglethorpe County, explains what the tax appraisal process looks like and why taxes increased since last year.   This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.   Q: How does the tax appraisal process work?