The City of Valdosta is announcing its plans adopt a millage rate of 6.506 for 2024.  This rate is 19.16 percent over the rollback millage rate. While this represents an increase, it's important to note that this percentage millage rate is lower than last year's rate of 6.947 and has been consistently decreasing for the past five years. The City remains committed to carefully managing tax rates while continuing to provide essential services to our community.

Each year, the board of tax assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county. When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicate there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and adjust the assessment. This is called a reassessment.

When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires a rollback millage rate 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 reassessment occurred.

The budget tentatively adopted by the City of Valdosta requires a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate; therefore, before the City of Valdosta may finalize the tentative budget and set a final millage rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase.

All concerned citizens are invited to public hearings on this tax increase to be held at the Valdosta City Hall, 216 E. Central Ave., Valdosta, GA on September 19, 2024 at 12:00 pm and 5:15 pm. An additional public hearing will be held at Valdosta City Hall, 216 E. Central Ave., Valdosta, GA on September 26, 2024 at 6:00 pm.