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Oconee County holds first hearing on proposed 2026 millage rates
Summary
Oconee County held its first statutorily required hearing on proposed 2026 millage rates, hearing staff present digest increases and rollback calculations and taking one public comment; recommended rates would generate roughly $788,124 more in property tax revenue than last year.
The Oconee County Board of Commissioners opened its first public hearing on the proposed 2026 millage rates, with the chair presenting updated digest figures and rollback calculations. He said the incorporated digest rose to $424,597,452 and the unincorporated digest to $3,520,900,575 and explained the tax commissioner's rollback calculations.
"The recommended tax rates will generate additional property tax over last year of $788,124," the chair said, and staff noted that applying the calculated rollback rates for real digest growth would instead generate about $824,893 more in 2026 than in 2025. Staff recommended a 2026 unincorporated millage of 4.124 and an incorporated millage of 5.154 (the same as 2025 for incorporated areas).
Commissioners pressed staff about exemptions, which have risen substantially in recent years. Staff attributed most of the growth to local homestead exemptions and a state change (House Bill 581), explaining age-based assessment freezes and a $3,000 increase in the homestead exemption adopted two years ago. The chair summarized the mechanics: the county must set equal gross millage rates for incorporated and unincorporated areas, then reduce the unincorporated rate to account for local option sales tax and insurance premium tax receipts.
During public comment resident Rob Heberman asked whether the recommended unincorporated rate is lower than the rollback rate; staff confirmed it is and said the recommended figure is slightly below last year's rate. The board closed the hearing, noting a second hearing on Aug. 4 and a final hearing and adoption on Aug. 25.
