Garden City residents push back against proposed 88% property tax increase

The proposal comes as city leaders move to eliminate the city’s fire protection fee and shift those costs into property taxes.

GARDEN CITY, Ga. —

Garden City homeowners packed City Hall Monday night to voice concerns over a proposed 88.07% property tax increase, with many questioning how the increase could impact families already struggling with rising costs.

The proposal comes as city leaders move to eliminate the city’s fire protection fee and shift those costs into property taxes.

For many residents, however, the nearly 88% figure was enough to spark concern.

“Then we’ll see another tax increase and another tax increase,” one resident told city leaders during the public hearing.

Others worried the increase could put an additional financial strain on homeowners living on fixed incomes.

“This is about the people,” resident Shikari Williams said. “I may be able to afford to pay whatever the millage rate is, but it may be some people who may not, who may have to choose, like the young lady said, between medicine and living.”

City leaders said the proposal is tied to the elimination of the city’s fire protection fee after a court ruling found a similar fire protection fee in another Georgia city to be an unconstitutional tax. Officials said Garden City’s fee would likely face the same legal challenge, prompting the city to remove it and instead fund fire services through property taxes.

“We’re only increasing the property tax millage rate to cover $2.8 million of the combined revenue needed to fund the continued operations in the fire department,” Garden City Finance Director Katie Draeger said during the meeting.

Officials also stressed that the 88.07% increase is calculated against the state’s rollback rate, as required by Georgia law, and does not necessarily mean every homeowner’s tax bill will increase by that percentage.

According to city leaders, the annual increase for affected property owners ranges from 18 cents to about $1,300, with an average increase of $146 per year, or about $12 a month.

“The lowest increase is $0.18 for the year. The highest increase is $1,300 for the year, which averages to $108 per month. The average increase is $146 a year, or about $12 a month,” Draeger said.

Even with that explanation, many residents remained unconvinced.

“It doesn’t feel like a savings on something when we feel we shouldn’t have been paying the fire protection tax in the first place,” resident Donna Williams said.

Garden City will hold another public hearing next Monday before city council members consider a final vote on the proposed millage rate. Residents will have another opportunity to ask questions and voice their concern before any decision is made.