Residents press commissioners on $607 million tax-digest jump; officials explain homestead baseline and 1% sales-tax ballot

Several residents at a Bulloch County Board of Commissioners meeting asked for detailed explanations after the county’s 2025 gross tax digest rose sharply, and commissioners explained how state law and recent homestead-exemption changes affect property tax bills.

Keith Hamilton, a resident who identified his address as 11111 Arcola Road, told the board he supported the proposed county budget but pressed officials about a reported $607,000,000 increase in the 2025 gross tax digest, which he said was listed at $4,537,000,000. “I want some transparency and some honesty about it. I want a straight answer,” Hamilton said, asking how much of the increase came from reappraisals of existing property and how much came from newly added development.

The board — represented during answers by Chairman David Bennett — said reassessments are governed by state law and explained how the recently increased homestead exemption affects individual tax bills. Bennett said commissioners do not independently decide when to reassess property values and that “if that amount if we go over that…