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Jones County assessors approve 2025 value changes, raise building cost to $95 per square foot
Summary
At a May 1 meeting the Jones County Board of Assessors approved proposed value modifications for the 2025 tax digest, including increasing the building cost table to $95 per square foot and other land-model adjustments to bring the county's median sales ratio into the Georgia Department of Revenue target range.
The Jones County Board of Assessors voted May 1 to approve a package of value modifications for the 2025 tax digest that includes raising the building cost table to $95 per square foot and updating urban and rural land schedules. Board members and staff said the changes will move the county’s median sales ratio from about 27% to roughly 36%, placing the digest inside the Georgia Department of Revenue’s target range.
Acting chief Jay Davis of the Jones County Assessor’s Office said staff corrected hundreds of records, brought new-construction entries up to date and adjusted depreciation that had not been applied for eight years. "All of those changes would result in our ratio going from below 30, for 2025 to 36," Davis said. He also estimated that, before the changes, the office was at roughly "70 to 75% of value where we needed to be."
Davis and staff credited access to county planning and permitting data for part of the improvement. He said cooperation with Tim Petrovski in planning and zoning allowed assessors to see inspection and permit data in real time, which helped identify properties under construction and apply corrections. Staff member Kim also spoke to the office’s work preparing the updated cost tables and land models.
The board approved the recommended changes by motion and second and recorded unanimous support from the three-member board. The motion directs staff to input the updated values into the assessment notices scheduled for mailing. The board set a special meeting schedule: May 15 at 8:30 a.m. to award the reevaluation contract and May 21 at 1:00 p.m. to approve notices for mailing.
Board members and others who spoke during public comment asked that the assessor’s office and commissioners help explain the changes to residents to reduce potential "sticker shock" when taxpayers receive the notices. One commenter urged a public report explaining how staff restored valuation accuracy in a short period, and asked the board to reassure taxpayers that the updates reflect corrected values rather than arbitrary increases.
The board did not tie any immediate tax rate or levy changes to the value modifications; the meeting record shows only the approval of the valuation adjustments and the scheduling of the related administrative meetings.
