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Long County prepares for state-required tax hearings as county reports delayed tax digest and planned estate sale
Summary
At a July 15 Long County Board meeting, County Manager Chuck Scragg said the General Assembly requires three public hearings in August on state-mandated tax increases (a formality, he said), reported a delay in the tax digest mailing due to unpaid vendor invoices to GMASS, and announced an estate sale in August of at least 75 tax-delinquent properties.
The Long County Board of Commissioners on July 15 heard county officials outline preparations for three state-required public hearings on property taxes in August and were briefed on financial strains that are delaying routine tax mailings and prompting a large upcoming tax-related property sale.
County Manager Chuck Scragg told the board that the Georgia General Assembly requires counties to hold three open public hearings in August to discuss state-mandated tax increases; he characterized that requirement as a formality and said "no tax increases are expected." He told commissioners the county’s tax digest printing and mailing have been delayed because of outstanding payments to GMASS, the vendor handling the digest, and that an estate sale is scheduled in August for at least 75 properties that are behind on their taxes.
Why this matters: delays in the tax digest can postpone taxpayers' receipt of property valuations and notices, complicating payment timing and local revenue flow. Scragg also warned the board the county is operating with constrained cash flow; payroll is being managed "payroll-by-payroll" until anticipated tax revenues arrive in December and January.
Finance Director Bernice Johnson and Scragg outlined anticipated revenue and outstanding invoices but no new revenue measures were proposed at the session. Scragg’s description of the upcoming hearings as a statutory formality suggests the board does not intend to pursue a local tax increase at this time, though the hearings themselves provide a formal opportunity for public input.
During public comment a resident raised road-safety concerns on Tibet Road; Chairman James Craft and Vice Chairman Gerald Blocker recommended contacting the Georgia Department of Transportation for a new traffic study. A separate public question about the tax digest delay received Scragg’s explanation attributing the hold-up to vendor payment issues.
What’s next: the board will hold the required public hearings in August; the tax digest mailing date was not specified. The minutes note that these July 15 minutes were adopted by the board on Aug. 19, 2025.
