Property owners across Chattooga County are beginning to receive their 2026 Property Assessment Notices in the mail, but local officials want residents to understand that these notices are not property tax bills.

The assessment notices, mailed by the Chattooga County Board of Assessors, show the county’s current estimate of a property’s fair market value and assessed value for tax purposes. The Assessors Office is responsible for determining property values, but it does not set tax rates or send tax bills.

Before property tax bills can be calculated and mailed, the Chattooga County Commissioner and the Chattooga County Board of Education must each establish their annual millage rates.

Commissioner Andy Allen will determine the county’s portion of the millage rate, while the Chattooga County Board of Education will set the school system’s portion. Those rates are established during the annual budget process and determine how much tax is owed on each property’s assessed value.

Because those millage rates have not yet been adopted, property owners cannot calculate their final tax bill based solely on the assessment notice.

After the millage rates are approved, the Chattooga County Tax Commissioner will prepare and mail property tax bills later this fall.

Property owners who believe the value listed on their assessment notice is incorrect have the right to appeal their assessment. Under Georgia law, appeals generally must be filed within 45 days of the notice’s mailing date.

For now, residents are encouraged to review their assessment notices carefully, but remember that the amount shown is an assessment—not the amount of taxes that will ultimately be due.