PROPERTY TAX RATES FOR WALKER COUNTY GOVERNMENT WILL BE GOING UP NEXT YEAR.  COMMISSIONER BEBE HEISKELL HAS SET A TENTATIVE TAX INCREASE OF 11.32 PERCENT IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY… AND AN INCREASE OF 6.43 PERCENT FOR THOSE LIVING IN THE COUNTY’S FOUR MUNICIPALITIES… LAFAYETTE, CHICKAMAUGA, ROSSVILLE AND LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN.  THE INCREASE AMOUNTS TO A HALF-MILL OR LESS.

GREG MCCONNELL, WHO HANDLES FINANCES FOR THE COUNTY, SAID HE ENCOURAGED THE COMMISSIONER TO RAISE THE MILLAGE RATE, SINCE SHE HAS "HELD THE LINE" FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN A ROW.  "INFLATION IS CATCHING UP TO US BIG-TIME", MCCONNELL SAID… "EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP".   THE MILLAGE RATE MUST BE APPROVED AND TURNED-IN TO THE STATE OF GEORGIA BY AUGUST 1st.  THE PROPOSED INCREASE WOULD BRING IN ABOUT 700-THOUSAND DOLLAR MORE FOR NEXT YEAR’S BUDGET.

REVENUES EXPECTED FROM THE PROPOSED TAX RATE TOTAL ALMOST 8-MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE OPERATION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT SERVICES.   THE TOP THREE EXPENSES FOR THE COUNTY ARE:  THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT, THE COURT SYSTEM, AND THE ROADS DEPARTMENT… IN THAT ORDER.
   

WALKER COUNTY HAS THE THIRD LOWEST MILLAGE RATE IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA… AND THAT’S BEEN THE CASE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.  MCCONNELL SAID "FROM 1991 TO 2010, THE MILLAGE RATE IN WALKER COUNTY HAS ONLY INCREASED BY 1.1 MILL."
   

TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE WILL BE HELD AT THE COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE IN LAFAYETTE THIS FRIDAY, JULY 16th… THE TIMES ARE 10 AM AND 6 PM.

 

WQCH