Citing an ongoing dispute Service Delivery Strategies dispute with the county’s 15 cities, the Gwinnett County Commission refused to adopt a 2009 millage rate, leaving the responsibility to a Superior Court judge. Tax bills for the county, cities and school system are already delayed by a month:
At the court hearing, the County Commission, in essence, asked the court to set its millage rate for them, a clear abdication of their fiduciary responsibility to the people of Gwinnett. Judge Hamil refused; he essentially told county officials that he would probably approve the “revenue neutral” rate if the Commission would do its job and formally recommend it.
County Commission, Just Do Something! | TalkGwinnett.com
An open letter to the Hoschton City Council:
As you revise your charter, I would suggest, in regards to the calculation and adoption of the millage rate, that the charter simply require that you follow the procedure that has been recommended and taught by the Department of Revenue for decades.
There is only one CORRECT way to calculate the millage rate so that government takes no more and no less from its property owners than required to fully fund the budget.
You can learn the correct way to calculate the rate at www.millagerate.com/howto.htm . I am available to discuss the benefits of following the correct procedure at your convenience.
The millage rate, currently a hot button issue in Hoschton, is one area [Council member Jim] Jester wants to re-evaluate. Right now, he said, Hoschton can levy a property tax "from 0 to infinity."
"I mean literally it can be anything without a public referendum," he said.
Hoschton revamping 90-year-old charter
The Georgia State Senate has passed an amended version of HB-233, a bill to prohibit increases in the assessed value of property for the next two years. The changes will probably have to be reconciled with the House version, but the vote puts the bill one step closer to passage.
Almost every Senator from my home county of Gwinnett, both Republican and Democrat, voted FOR this bill. That is extremely unfortunate, as this article at TalkGwinnett.com explains.
Gwinnett property owners already face an estimated 2-mill increase this year. If it passes, HB-233 will add another .02 mills– approximately $22– on a tax bill that is already increasing by $144 for the owner of a $200,000 home.
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