Stephens County Board of Commissioners Adopt Millage Rate of 15.69 Mills

At last night’s Stephens County Board of Commissioners meeting, commissioners adopted a county-only millage rate of 15.69 mills for the 2023 tax year. 

County Administrator Christian Hamilton said that the largest concern the board and staff has heard from the public regarding the millage rate is simply the fact that taxes will be going up, when citizens have become used to a county millage rate that either has held steady or rolled back to some degree for almost a decade.

 

Hamilton reiterated that commissioners, during the county’s budget retreat in early May, slashed $3 million from the originally proposed budget. 

 

He said that the Board, with its mixture of veteran commissioners and new commissioners, may not always agree on the details of any given subject, including the budget, but are on the same page with the same goal in sight.

 

Hamilton explained the shift of the current Board away from the prior trend of using the county’s fund balance to fund the operation of the county.

 

He explained the fiscal parameters of the fund balance, including how money is added, and what its purpose is, as well as regulatory limitations on its use.

 

He also outlined the statutory regulations regarding county fund balances. 

 

WNEG News will provide additional coverage of last night’s board meeting over the coming week.