Cobb County chief appraiser: new assessment notices show rollback rates; 45-day appeal window applies

Cobb County chief appraiser Christine Stinchcomb said legislative changes have altered the county's notice of assessment and removed the estimated year-end tax amount, replacing it with estimated rollback rates and guidance for taxpayers on how to verify and appeal their valuations.

Stinchcomb said, “The changes to the notice of assessment are due to legislative changes that were enacted with House Bill 581 and House Bill 92.” She told viewers the change was required by the Georgia Department of Revenue and not a local design choice.

The change affects section C of the notice of assessment. Instead of showing an estimated tax bill, the notice now shows up to three lines of estimated rollback rates — for county general, schools and, if applicable, cities — that jurisdictions supplied to the assessor. Stinchcomb said, “The rollback rate is calculated by the tax assessor's office and the tax commissioner's office, and this is the rate the jurisdictions would need to go down to in order to remain revenue neutral when values are increasing.”

Because the notice no longer shows an estimated dollar tax bill, Stinchcomb said Cobb County collaborated with Tax Commissioner Carla Jackson's office to upgrade the tax estimator at COPTAX.org and that the assessor's website, CobbAssessor.org, links to that estimator from the home page and the appeal screen.

Stinchcomb reiterated earlier county projections that the overall digest is up about 2% and that the market is slowing; as a result, only about one-third of Cobb County property owners received a changed value this year. She advised taxpayers to verify the data on their property record (square footage, bedroom and bathroom counts, finished basements) via CobbAssessor.org and to check that any homestead exemption is listed correctly; homestead applications are handled by the tax commissioner's office.

The county is allowing a 45-day appeal window from the mailing date printed in the upper right corner of the assessment notice. Stinchcomb described the appeal workflow: appraisers review submitted appeals and in September taxpayers receive notice of either a change or no change. If an appeal yields no change, the file proceeds to the Board of Equalization for a hearing; if a change is made, a new value letter opens another appeal window.

On how to file, Stinchcomb listed several options: online, in person, email, fax or standard mail. She said the assessor's office prefers online submissions because they generate immediate confirmation; in-person filers can receive a stamped receipt. She urged taxpayers to submit supporting documentation, such as a 2024 fee appraisal or comparable sales research, to help staff process appeals more quickly.

To help taxpayers, the assessor's office offers extended office hours at libraries around the county for one-on-one help and in-person appeal submission. Stinchcomb said the office has already held an event at East Cobb Library and planned events at Mountain View Library on June 10, Kent Memorial on June 18 and South Cobb Regional Library on June 24.

Stinchcomb also noted that because of programming changes required to implement the legislative changes, assessment notices arrived later than in prior years.

For homeowners considering an appeal, Stinchcomb reiterated the first steps: verify your property data on CobbAssessor.org, confirm homestead status with the tax commissioner's office, gather supporting evidence, and file within the 45-day deadline. She closed by encouraging taxpayers with questions to use the county pages and the upgraded tax estimator.