Stephens County adopts FY2026 millage after public hearing on reassessments

The Stephens County Board of Commissioners on June 24 held a third and final public hearing and then adopted the county's fiscal year 2026 millage rates after several residents criticized a recent revaluation that raised assessed values.

County staff opened the hearing with a summary of the FY2026 budget and proposed millage rates. The board adopted a government-wide operating budget of $41,623,134 for the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. For maintenance and operations (M&O), staff proposed holding the unincorporated M&O rate at 10.38 mills and reducing the incorporated M&O rate to 12.62 mills, a 0.16-mill reduction from FY2025. County staff also reported separate countywide special district rates for FY2026: solid waste 0.78 mills, emergency medical services 2.05 mills and fire services 0.74 mills. That yields an overall millage of 13.95 for the unincorporated district (a net decrease of 0.39 mills) and 16.19 for the incorporated district (a net decrease of 0.54 mills).

"Residents will be paying a lesser tax rate this year than they did last year,"…