Baldwin County Commission Passes Property Tax Increase

The Baldwin County Commission voted 3-to-2 Wednesday to increase property taxes by 8.9%.

This increase will appear on the property tax bills that homeowners get this fall.

Chairman Henry Craig voted for it, along with Commissioners Sammy Hall and Johnny Westmoreland.

Commissioners Kendrick Butts and Emily Davis voted against it.

Watch today’s hearing that set the new millage rate here: https://bit.ly/3hbFZos

At public hearing last week, Assistant County Manager Dawn Hudson talked about some of the increasing costs for the county.

The biggest new item for the county is covering the $637,000 in fire services for the Central State Hospital campus and nearby areas.

The State of Georgia was under contract to pay for those services, but stopped paying last September. The county is suing the state over the contract.

Other increases include costs for the state’s new election mandates ($100,000 a year), body cameras and Tasers for sheriff’s deputies ($100,000 a year) and a subsidy for EMS ($195,000 a year).

Hudson also talked about a general 3% to 5% increase for the cost of supplies like fuel, asphalt and utilities.

The property tax increase will produce about $1 million a year. Hudson says a $100,000 home would see a tax increase of $26 for a local resident.

The last county property millage rate increase was in 2014.

The proposed property tax increase only affects the county portion of a resident’s property tax bill. Not the school board portion. It also does not affect the city portion for those who live inside Milledgeville city limits.