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Long County officials say a full millage rollback would threaten services as tax reassessments raise revenues
Summary
County staff told three January hearings that a state-mandated reassessment and cash-flow shortfall make the mandatory rollback (to ~15.5 mills) infeasible; officials proposed modest millage trimming of 0.25–0.5 mills while pursuing cost controls and short-term borrowing.
County Manager Shane Richardson said at a Jan. 5 public hearing that Long County’s updated tax digest and rising expenses leave little room for the mandatory rollback rate of about 15.5 mills and that the current millage of 18.707 mills is needed to cover operations and debt service. Finance Director Bernice Johnson told commissioners the county is carrying roughly $2.3 million in unpaid invoices and about $2.6 million in short-term debt — including tax anticipation loans and a loan from the Development Authority — and that tax anticipation loans must "be repaid by the end of January." Johnson also said the county faces roughly $600,000 in retirement contributions and rising vendor and utility costs.
Johnson corrected earlier characterizations that $20–21 million had been "missing," saying those figures related to bond obligations and liabilities that have since been paid down or reclassified. Richardson summarized staff analysis that the tax digest could support a theoretical rollback of about three mills but that level would be "not feasible for county operations," so officials are pursuing a more modest initial reduction of roughly 0.25 to 0.5 mills while identifying budget efficiencies through the spring and during FY27 planning.
Richardson and Johnson told the board that SPLOST revenues contribute about $1.5 million annually and may help stabilize millage in the future, and that appeals of recent reassessments remain in process. At the Jan. 20 hearing Richardson reiterated that the FY26 adopted budget was understated given the reassessment and estimated an approximate $400,000 funding gap at the current 18.707 mills. He said tax revenues and updated digest figures are expected between early February and March 1 and emphasized expenditure-control measures already enacted.
Residents at multiple hearings described sudden large increases in their property tax bills. Joseph Stevens said his bill rose from "approximately $1,100 to over $3,000" despite no new development. Durand Standard told commissioners he represents four properties with assessment increases ranging from about 70% to 139% and urged the board to favor rollbacks or other relief where legally possible.
County Attorney Luke Moses warned the board that the legal status of the county’s fire fee is uncertain because of pending litigation and recommended, as a precaution, that funding for fire services be moved into the millage rather than relying on the fee. The attorney also later advised the board that some hearings and actions would need to be re-advertised because of advertisement and quorum problems (see related action adopting the school board millage).
The county’s immediate response has included a temporary budget freeze (Jan. 12–Feb. 15), a revised purchase-order process, restrictions on overtime except for first responders and a push to find operational savings. Staff detailed that monthly payroll averages about $450,000 and that the county planned to use T-SPLOST funds and an anticipated intergovernmental $500,000 loan to meet near-term payroll obligations.
What happens next: county staff said they will continue budget review through the spring, hold quarterly town halls and a strategic retreat, and present FY27 projections meant to allow more millage reductions over time if savings and revenue efforts succeed.
