Statesboro residents raised concerns Tuesday about a proposed 9.6-mill property-tax rate as the city continued the required public-hearing process.
Featured image: AI-generated illustration representing the millage-rate proposal; it is not documentary photography.
The city has tentatively adopted the 9.600-mill rate but has not completed the process. A third hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. September 15 at City Hall, 50 East Main Street, according to the City of Statesboro.
Two comparisons produce different numbers
The proposed rate is 0.975 mills above the 2025 adopted rate of 8.625 mills. For a $250,000 home assessed at Georgia’s standard 40 percent ratio, that difference is about $97.50 before exemptions.
The city’s legally required notice uses the lower rollback rate of 7.165 mills as its baseline. Against that figure, the proposal is 2.435 mills higher, or a 33.98 percent increase. The city estimates the difference at about $243.50 for a home with a $255,000 fair-market value.
Public debate continues
Residents who spoke at the September 8 hearings questioned the effect on household budgets, while city leaders discussed funding needs and the services supported by property-tax revenue. WTOC reported on the public opposition and the city’s explanation.
The September 15 hearing gives residents another opportunity to comment before the council completes the millage-rate process. Until that action occurs, 9.6 mills remains a tentative rate rather than a final tax levy.
