Most Chattooga County homeowners should see lower property tax bills over the next two years as a result of state tax relief, local sales tax revenue and additional tax relief proposals, according to Chattooga County Tax Commissioner Joy Hampton.

Speaking recently, Hampton said several factors are expected to reduce property taxes for many homeowners, beginning with the return of Georgia’s Homeowner Tax Relief Grant (HTRG) in 2026. The state-funded grant will reduce the assessed value of qualifying homesteads by $18,000, the same amount offered in 2023 before the program was suspended in 2024 and 2025.

Based on last year’s millage rates, Hampton estimated the grant could save eligible homeowners about $300, although the actual savings will depend on the final millage rates adopted later this year.

Hampton also highlighted another source of tax relief through the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). She said approximately $1.5 million collected during a six-month period has been designated for property tax relief. That revenue will appear as a separate credit on tax bills while lowering the county’s millage rate for all property owners, not just those receiving homestead exemptions. City residents are also expected to see savings on their municipal property taxes from the same revenue source.

“The county portion is going to go down a good bit,” Hampton said, adding that even the school portion of property tax bills should decline once the state grant is applied. While final tax bills will depend on the millage rates approved later this year, she said she expects most homeowners to see a reduction.

Beginning next year, Hampton said property owners should see even greater benefits because the county will apply a full year of SPLOST collections—from July 1 through June 30—to the following year’s tax bills instead of only a six-month collection period.

In addition to the immediate tax relief, voters will be asked in November to consider proposed changes to county and school property tax exemptions for senior citizens. Hampton said the current exemptions date back to 1997 and 2007 and are tied to a maximum income limit of $20,000. The proposed changes would raise the income threshold, allowing more seniors to qualify while also revising the income calculation used to determine eligibility.

Hampton said the proposals are intended to provide meaningful tax relief to more residents while ensuring the exemptions better reflect today’s economic conditions.

Final property tax bills will be determined after local governments adopt their millage rates later this year.