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Albany commissioners move to roll back proposed millage after public hearing on late digest
Summary
After a public hearing on Nov. 18, city staff recommended holding the millage at 10.672; commissioners signaled support to roll the rate back to the calculated rollback to avoid three additional hearings and a minimal $41,000 impact on taxpayers. Staff cited delays tied to House Bill 581 and a late digest.
City of Albany officials spent much of a Nov. 18 work session debating whether to hold or roll back the city’s millage rate after staff told the commission a delayed property digest left limited time for action.
Finance staff said the city had proposed keeping the millage at 10.672; the calculated rollback rate was 10.644. Staff told commissioners that keeping the current rate would still produce a net city-side tax reduction of about $253,006.83 because the overall digest had declined since the prior year. The staff presentation tied the late digest and tight timetable to state changes enacted in House Bill 581 and county reevaluation schedules.
Miss Eaton, presenting the analysis, said that maintaining the 10.672 rate would avoid additional advertising and hearings but acknowledged the technical difference between the proposed rate and the rollback.
Multiple commissioners objected to subjecting residents to three public hearings that would be required if the commission approved a rate greater than the rollback; several members said the headline effect reported in local media had inflamed public concern for what could be only a small per-household change. Mayor Bo Dura and other commissioners noted examples: on a $100,000 home the difference would be roughly $1.06; on a $125,000 home about $1.40.
Commissioners discussed procedural options, including holding a special called meeting before the scheduled adoption date to vote to roll back the rate and thereby avoid the additional hearings. Staff and commissioners agreed to follow up with a vote at the next available meeting and to provide clear public notices explaining the small dollar impact and the reasons for any schedule changes.
Next steps: staff will prepare a formal roll-back resolution or an alternative ordinance for a vote at the next scheduled meeting; they also committed to additional outreach and clearer materials for residents explaining both the dollar impacts and the administrative deadlines created by House Bill 581.
