Tuesday, July 22, 2025–8:50 p.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
Floyd County residents packed the county administration building for the first of three public hearings regarding the 2025 millage rates for maintenance and operations, fire, and solid waste.
The Floyd County Board of Commissioners plans to set a millage rate not to exceed 9.5 mills. That proposed rate represents a 6.1% increase over the rollback millage rate, which is the rate that would keep tax payments flat compared to last year.
“This is a clear voice,” said Ken Wright during the public hearing. “Everyone is opposed to increasing the millage rate. That right there should be enough.”
Floyd County adopts a budget, typically in December of each year.
According to Floyd County Manager Jamie McCord, the corresponding millage rate, which is adopted the following July or August, has to generate enough revenue to offset the expenditures.
“We have increased salaries, specifically with an emphasis on public safety,” he said. “I’ve not had one complaint about raising public safety pay. We have had a lot of complaints about how to get the money to pay them.”
Floyd County did lower the millage rate in 2022 and 2023.
“Inflationary increases have affected us just like they have affected you at home with your power bills and other bills,” McCord said. “Our healthcare expenses have gone up $1.7 million in 2023 from 2022. We did an additional $5,500 across the board for public safety in 2024. Our inmate meals and medical went up $1.2 million in 2024. Transfers to EMA, PAWS (animal control), and recreation increased by about 775 over 2024.”
McCord added that relief for property owners could be on the way, thanks to House Bill 581.
“We are anticipating that it will be on the ballot this November, for a vote to add a single additional penny sales tax,” he said. “If this passes, both city and county could get approximately a 40 percent reduction in the millage rate. That’s about 3.2 on the county side, and I think it would be about 3.3 on the city side. It is not new revenue; it is a tax shift away from ad valorem property tax to a sales tax.”
Your property tax bill is calculated by taking 40% of your property’s assessed value and multiplying it by the total millage rate. That total is then adjusted based on exemptions you qualify for, such as the Homestead Exemption. Your total millage rate is the combination of the rate set by the Floyd County Commission as well as the Floyd County Board of Education. The school board has announced it intends to set its millage rate at 16.831 mills, equal to its estimated rollback rate.
The way properties are assessed — and how taxes are calculated — is set by the Georgia General Assembly, not the local government. However, Floyd County has chosen to increase the local Homestead Exemption beyond the state minimum, which helps many homeowners save more on their tax bills.
Because the proposed 2025 rate is higher than the rollback rate of 8.954 mills, state law requires three public hearings before the rate can be finalized. These hearings offer residents an opportunity to learn more and share feedback with the Board of Commissioners.
