The Chattooga County Tax Assessors office is working their way through a massive, record-number of tax appeals, but Chattooga County Tax Commissioner Joy Hampton cannot send out 2023 property tax bills until they get either the number of tax appeals or the total value under appeal down to 8% of the over 3,000 that were filed.

Once the board of assessors has met the 8% threshold of appeals filed, then they will send the numbers to the tax commissioner’s office and the county commissioner and board of education will have to set millage rates.  At that point, the numbers will be sent to the Georgia Department of Revenue for approval.  Only then can tax bills be calculated and sent to the printers.  Once the bills are printed, taxpayers will still have 60 days before taxes are due.

All of this means it could be January or later before taxes can paid. The Chattooga County Board of Assessors is working to find a way to work their way through the appeals more quickly and hope to have that plan in place by next Tuesday.