MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Folks buying homes is nothing new.
“I bought my first house in ‘81,” said Francis Kennedy, who lives in the Glenhaven neighborhood in Milledgeville.
However, Kennedy says the thing that always changes is his property tax.
“It's definitely gone up, and up, and up,” he said. “When I moved into the lake property in 1981, the best I can remember is $700 in taxes. I got my notice a couple of weeks ago for $4444."
That hasn't stopped people like Kellen Wynn from buying homes, though.
“We just closed on this house back at the end of August,” Wynn said. “This is a place where you can still get an affordable home and property taxes are a big part of that."
A lot of prices have gone up to keep up with inflation.
The City of Milledgeville says it's affecting them too. That’s why city leaders want to raise the millage rate by two mills– from 10.12 mills to 12.12 mills.
“It's really just all about what is that increase going towards,” Wynn asked.
Mayor Mary Parham Copelan says the millage rate hasn't changed since 2018, but now it needs to.
“It's an economic thing to be able to keep the city functioning,” Parham Copeland said. “When you look at the roads, the pavement– everything has gone up. The cost of fuel has went up to run our vehicles everyday."
She says part of it is also to keep paying city employees fair, livable wages. In July, the police and fire departments all got raises approved in the new budget, as well as every other city employee.
‘Keeping those qualified people here to make sure that the city is functioning efficiently,” she said.
Parham Copelan says the addition of T-SPLOST money to fix the roads could possibly free up funds for other problems.
The city's water system, she says, is a priority.
“I know most people feel like this isn’t time, this is the hardest time for us to be raising taxes, but there is some good that will come out of here. Now we can have, what we call, better production of what we do in the city of Milledgeville as far as our water, as far as our public works. Fire, police. you will see the mobilization of everything working faster, you'll see better proceeds coming from it. Everything you’re using to make the city function is just economically good sense,” Parham Copelan said.
She says each mill will add an additional $40 to the tax bill for a $100,000 home.
So, what do people think?
“An essential service is an essential service. I mean, where else is that money going to come from except for the people,” Wynn said. “Milledgeville's water issue– anything that it takes to get that problem fixed, I think we're definitely pro."
“The police force and water departments, from what I know over the past 40-50 years now, have always been a little underpaid. It's common sense, so to speak, to give people what almost anybody deserves if they're working hard,” Kennedy said.
By law, the city is required to hold three public hearings for people to voice their concerns or questions.
The first one will be Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall on East Hancock Street. The other two are on Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. and Nov. 28 at 5:30 p.m.