| The FY10 Mayor’s Recommended Budget has been submitted to the Commission for review as required by law. The Mayor’s Recommended Budget proposes a millage rate of 13.20 for 2009, an increase of 0.25 of a mill. Athens-Clarke County has tentatively adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 5%. The final decision related to property taxes for 2009 will be included as part of the adoption of the FY10 Budget scheduled for June 2, 2009. Pursuant to the requirements of Georgia Law (OCGA 48-5-32), three public hearings will be held during May to comply with the Taxpayer Bill of Rights passed by the Georgia General Assembly in 1999:
An additional Mayor & Commission Budget Work Session may be held on Tuesday, May 19, if necessary, although public comments will not be taken. Public comments will also be taken at the following Mayor and Commission meetings that have the FY10 Budget on the agenda.
Each year, the Board of Tax Assessors is required to review the value of property in the county for tax purposes. When properties that have recently sold in the county indicate an increase in the fair market value of similar properties, the Board of Tax Assessors is required by Georgia law to re-value such property and increase the properties' value for tax purposes. This is called reassessment. This does not mean that taxes on each parcel of property will increase by 5%. Actual property taxes may increase, decrease, or remain the same depending on whether there is a millage rate increase or the property in question is reassessed. The FY10 Mayor's Recommended Budget can be found on the Athens-Clarke County Web site in the Finance section of the Online Documents. Copies of the budget are also available for inspection during normal office hours at the following locations:
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