Pendergrass council certifies millage to raise $4.5 million; approves minutes and charter report

The Pendergrass City Council on Sept. 30 approved routine meeting minutes, accepted a city charter report and passed a resolution certifying a millage that the council said is intended to raise $4.5 million for the 2025 tax year.

The actions, taken during the regular council session at Pendergrass City Council Chambers, also set a schedule for the public budget process: council members said the first public hearing on the budget will likely be Oct. 8 and that the proposed budget would be introduced next month and is projected in the meeting to be about $3,000,000.

The millage resolution text cited the Georgia statute OCGA 48-5-32 and the city charter as authorizing the mayor and council to levy property taxes and execute documents related to the levy. Council members moved and seconded the resolution and, after a brief exchange confirming that the required public notice had been published in the newspaper, the council recorded its approval.

Council members also voted to approve minutes from the Aug. 26 and Sept. 9 meetings and to accept the charter report for filing. The minutes and charter-report votes were taken by voice and recorded as “Aye” calls in the meeting transcript.

City staff said the millage and budget figures would be spelled out in greater detail when the proposed budget is formally introduced next month. The council discussed keeping the certified millage consistent with the prior year; staff noted the city’s intent to review the rate in future budget cycles.

The council did not take a recorded roll-call tally in the transcript beyond voice votes recorded on the floor; the transcript indicates unanimous “Aye” responses but does not specify individual vote counts. The council directed staff to publish required notices and to post the calendar for upcoming budget hearings.