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 Walker County Board of Education plans to adopt a full rollback millage rate of 14.013 mills during its meeting on Monday, August 17.
According to information released by Walker County Schools, the rollback rate is calculated using the previous year’s millage rate minus the millage equivalent of the total net assessed value added through property reassessments.
A public hearing on the proposed 2026 millage rate will be held at 6 p.m. on August 17 in the boardroom of the Walker County Department of Education, located at 301 N. Cherokee Street in LaFayette.
School district officials say they continue to work to balance the growing needs of students with efforts to keep local taxes as low as possible while also maximizing state funding.
Walker County Schools noted that over the past six years, the district has either lowered or maintained its millage rate. In 2019, the rate stood at 17.404 mills. For 2026, the district plans to adopt the full rollback rate of 14.013 mills.
All concerned citizens are invited to attend the public hearing.
The Chattooga County Board of Assessors is notifying property owners that 2026 Notices of Assessment were mailed July 31 for each parcel in the county.
Property owners across Chattooga County are beginning to receive their 2026 property assessment notices in the mail, but county officials say those notices should not be mistaken for a tax bill.
Chattooga County Tax Commissioner Joy Hampton is providing additional information about two proposed senior property tax exemption changes that voters will consider during the November election, along with a reminder that the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) renewal will also appear on the ballot.
Walker County commissioners are considering several options to fund nine additional firefighter positions, including a potential property tax increase or higher public safety fees. The discussion took place during a special called meeting as county leaders continue work on the fiscal year 2027 budget.
County officials say adding nine firefighters would allow each fire engine to respond with a minimum of three firefighters, improving staffing levels and emergency response. To pay for the positions, one option discussed would increase the county millage rate by about 9% in unincorporated areas and 11% in incorporated areas. Another proposal would increase the county’s public safety fee, including eliminating the current $600 annual cap for larger homes.
Commissioners also discussed reducing the number of new positions, using reserve funds, or combining several funding options. Officials noted that although Walker County’s property tax digest has grown significantly over the past several years, repeated millage rate rollbacks have kept county property tax revenue relatively flat.
No decision has been made. Any increase in the millage rate would require public hearings before commissioners could take a final vote. The next Walker County Commission meeting is scheduled for August 6.
Chattooga County Tax Commissioner Joy Hampton has released an updated list of properties currently scheduled for the county’s August tax sale.
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.
Chattooga County property owners should soon begin receiving their 2026 Property Assessment Notices in the mail, but Tax Commissioner Joy Hampton is reminding residents that the notices are not property tax bills.
Residents in Trion could see no increase in property taxes or utility rates under the town’s proposed 2026-2027 fiscal year budget.
The proposed budget totals approximately $14.7 million across all funds, a decrease of about 3.2 percent compared to the current fiscal year. According to Trion Town Clerk Missy Duncan, most of the reduction is tied to lower projected natural gas sales.
Duncan said Mount Vernon Mills, the town’s largest employer and largest natural gas customer, is expected to use less natural gas during the coming fiscal year based on projections from the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia. Even with the anticipated decline in gas revenue, town officials are not proposing any increases in water, sewer, natural gas, sanitation, or property tax rates.
The proposed budget includes approximately $4.05 million for the General Fund, $5.21 million for the Gas Revenue Fund, $4.75 million for the Sewer and Wastewater Treatment Fund, $292,500 for the Water Fund, and $391,950 for the SPLOST Fund.
Town officials also expect to receive about $33,000 per month in Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) revenue, providing additional funding for transportation projects.
Residents will have an opportunity to review the proposed budget and offer comments during a public hearing before the budget is considered for final adoption