Carroll County adopts 2025 millage rates, opts into House Bill 581 homestead exemption

The Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted Aug. 28 to adopt the county''s 2025 millage rates and to allow homeowners to use the homestead exemption calculation provided under House Bill 581.

County Attorney Stacy Blackman presented the resolution, saying the county would levy the full rollback millage rate of 6.292 mills for the unincorporated area, with lower rates in Carrollton (5.185 mills) and Bremen (4.645 mills) related to differing fire-protection service delivery agreements. She said the county is required by law to levy county school taxes and that the Carroll County School Board recently adopted a school millage rate of 16.077 mills. Blackman also said the resolution opts the county into House Bill 581 so taxpayers may use whichever homestead exemption calculation is more beneficial: the county''s existing floating homestead exemption (in place since 2002) or the HB 581 method.

Commissioners had no further questions. A motion to approve the resolution was made and seconded; the board approved it on a recorded vote of 7-0.

The resolution sets the tax rates the county will use for collection in 2025 and clarifies which homestead exemption calculation will apply to qualifying taxpayers. The County Attorney briefed the board on the technical differences only as needed for the vote; no public comment or substantive debate occurred during this agenda item.

The board then proceeded to the next agenda items listed for the special-called meeting.