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Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Byron approves new millage rate

BYRON — About a dozen residents sitting in Byron’s City Council chambers Friday afternoon fired off a barrage of questions to city officials about the proposed millage rate increase.

What will the new money be used for? Doesn’t the city get enough from recent property revaluations? Will the extra money be spent paying for the city’s still-new municipal complex?

Council members said the city simply needs to recover from a shortfall of just more than $200,000 from this last fiscal year, not including any debt from the municipal complex. The residents gave multiple personal reasons why the increase shouldn’t take place.

Undeterred, the Byron City Council approved a new millage rate of 9 mills for the city, up from 7.5 this year. Councilman Michael Chidester was the lone vote against the measure.

“The lower millage rate comes from sales tax revenue,” Chidester said during the public hearing.

“When people aren’t out buying, sales tax money goes down,” he said.

The millage rate was one of the last options city officials said they could think to do to recoup last year’s shortfall. A mill is about $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value of a home. The city is expected to generate about $239,000 from the millage increase. Mayor Larry Collins said the hike would cause many property tax bills to increase about $20 to $30 next year. The rate increase also is the first for the city since 2004.

Cathy Goodson, who owns a home and a business in Byron, said she will be paying more because of the tax increase and the revaluation done to her property. She also expects a Peach County education local option sales tax to go through as well, further increasing what she pays.

“Why increase the millage rate, too?” she asked. “The way the valuations went, if they gave that much for the properties, I’d take it. It’s hard for ordinary working people to come up with this much money.”

Some of the residents said they already found it hard to pay their current tax bills.

“Hopefully, I can still live in my house,” James Schechterle told the mayor and council. “I hope you can, too,” Collins said.

To contact writer Marlon A. Walker, call 256-9685.