Decatur Lowers Millage -- But Taxes Still Going Up

DECATUR, GA -- The Decatur City Commission on Monday lowered its property tax millage rate.

But for many Decatur homeowners, taxes are still going to go up, as rocketing property values outpace the decrease.

The commission adopted a tentative millage rate of 10.68 mills for the coming year -- down from the 2015 rate of 11.08 mills.

The millage rate is the amount per $1,000 that is used to calculate taxes on a property's taxable value. A higher rate means higher taxes and a lower rate means lower ones.

But in Decatur, properties are routinely being reassessed at higher values. The net effect, the city said in a news release, will be an average property-tax increase of 2.91 percent for city property owners.

For properties that were not reassessed, the millage-rate decrease will, in fact, amount to a tax cut.

The city commission will hold several public hearings on the property taxes and the millage rate.

They will be Monday, June 6, at 7:30 p.m.; Monday, June 13, at 6 p.m.; and Monday, June 20, at 7:30 p.m.

The final millage will be set at the Decatur City Commission meeting scheduled for Monday, June 20.

All meetings are held in the City Commission Meeting room, Decatur City Hall, 509 N. McDonough Street.