News Flash

City of Savannah Marketing and Communications

Posted on: June 12, 2023

City of Savannah to consider maintaining millage rate at lowest level since 1987

City of Savannah
Office of Marketing and Communications 
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City of Savannah to consider maintaining millage rate at lowest level since 1987

 

SAVANNAH (June 12) – The City of Savannah will soon consider maintaining its current millage rate, which is the lowest rate since 1987. While the proposed rate of 12.20 mills does exceed the rollback rate, the amount above the rollback is necessary to provide funding for key infrastructure initiatives, primarily focused on stormwater projects. 

 

As required in state law, this news release serves as a notice that the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Savannah are considering adopting a millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 9.72 percent over the rollback millage rate for properties that increased in valuation and have not obtained a Stephens-Day exemption. The 9.72 percent increase over the rollback millage rate will maintain the current tax rate of 12.20 mills, which was adopted in 2022. 

 

When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred. The proposed millage rate of 12.20 mills is an increase of 1.081 mills over the rollback millage rate of 11.119 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home that does not have Stephens-Day exemption with a fair market value of $100,000 is approximately $43.24 and the proposed tax increase for a non-Stephens-Day exemption property with a fair market value of $500,000 is approximately $216.20.

 

Georgia law requires the city to advertise the rate of 12.20 as a tax “increase” because the rollback rate might not be adopted. While the anticipated revenues derived from this rate are higher than the rollback rate, the proposed rate itself is equal to the 2022 rate, as seen in the attached chart. The proposed millage rate of 12.20 mills represents maintaining the lowest tax rate since 1987.

 

Should the city council choose to adopt the 12.20 rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase over the rollback rate.

 

All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on the property tax rate at City Hall, located at 2 E. Bay St., on June 22 at 6:30 p.m., and July 27 at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

 

The public may offer comment in one of two ways:

  1. Anyone with interest in speaking on this agenda item may submit evidence, including written comments, to the Clerk of Council by email or by calling (912) 651-6441. Written comments become public record and are shared with the Mayor and Aldermen prior to the council meeting.
  2. Members of the public may come to City Hall council chambers to share their thoughts with City Council. 

 

View the the historical millage rates below and  Click here to view the current 2023 Tax Digest and Five Year History of Levy

City of Savannah Millage Rates

YEAR

MILLAGE

YEAR

MILLAGE

YEAR

MILLAGE

YEAR

MILLAGE

1971

26.00

1986

9.00

2001

13.70

2016

12.48

1972

30.00

1987

11.30

2002

13.70

2017

12.48

1973

28.00

1988

13.30

2003

13.30

2018

13.40

1974

28.00

1989

13.30

2004

13.10

2019

12.856

1975

27.00

1990

13.30

2005

12.90

2020

12.739

1976

27.00

1991

14.30

2006

12.70

2021

12.739

1977

9.00

1992

14.30

2007

12.50

2022

12.20

1978

9.00

1993

15.90

2008

12.50

2023

12.20

1979

8.50

1994

17.46

2009

12.50

 

 

1980

8.50

1995

17.46

2010

13.00

 

 

1981

8.50

1996

17.46

2011

12.50

 

 

1982

8.50

1997

17.46

2012

12.50

 

 

1983

8.50

1998

16.93

2013

12.48

 

 

1984

9.00

1999

16.50

2014

12.48

 

 

1985

9.00

2000

14.80

2015

12.48

 

 

 

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