Savannah-Chatham school millage held at 17.481; valuation rise prompts advertised tax increase

Ken Slatz, commenter, explained that the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) has tentatively set a school millage rate at 17.481 mills and that state law requires the district to advertise the decision as a tax increase because property valuations have risen.

The explanation matters because millage — the amount of tax per $1,000 of assessed property value — funds the school system’s operating expenses. "That's $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value," Slatz said, and he added that the tax commission sets assessed value at 40% of fair market value.

Slatz outlined how the advertised figure can differ from the millage itself: if the district keeps the millage rate flat but that rate is higher than the statutory rollback rate calculated to offset valuation increases, state law requires the district to label the action a tax increase and hold public hearings. "State law requires that if the board is not going to use the rollback rate, they must advertise a tax increase," Slatz said. He noted the rollback rate in this instance would be 16.826 mills.

The commentator also contrasted other local rates, saying county taxes in Chatham County stand at 10.518 mills and that the City of Savannah’s millage is 12.2 mills for residents in that municipality, with smaller municipalities ranging roughly from 2.5 to 5.37 mills. Slatz said a final adoption could still change the district's rate on June 5 but that "SCCPSS has no intention in raising the millage rate."

The takeaway for property owners, Slatz said, is that higher tax bills this year would stem from higher assessed values, not an increase in the school millage itself. "Don't be misled. No millage rate increase is being proposed," he said.