Paulding County holds first public hearing on proposed millage change; two more hearings set

Paulding County held the first of three public hearings on a proposed change to its millage rate during a meeting that opened shortly after 9 a.m.; county staff presented the proposal, explained recent state law changes affecting homestead exemptions, and no members of the public addressed the board.

Tabitha, a county staff member, told the board: "Every year we are required to go through a process for setting the millage rate," and she described how the county is advertising a 4.3 millage rate for the maintenance-and-operations portion of the property tax. "House Bill 581 established a floating homestead exemption," Tabitha added, saying the law sets a 2024 base year for homestead valuations and allows a voter referendum to add a sales-tax penny intended to reduce property taxes.

The nut of the presentation was that the advertised change is meant to account for increases in assessed values while reflecting…