County residents fear hit to the wallet with tax increase on the horizon

Property taxes skyrocketed for Robert and Lola Williams when they rebuilt their west Bibb County home after a fire in 2014.

But now, they’re not only facing the same tax burden they’ve dealt with since moving back into their new home. They, their neighbors and others across the county know a millage rate increase is likely this year.

The Williamses had lived in their original Beaver Oaks home since 1977 and had paid off their mortgage before they headed into retirement. Before the fire, the couple was paying about $2,800 annually for the property situated next to Lake Tobesofkee.

But after the home — rebuilt to the same design as the one it replaced – was reappraised by Bibb County, it was valued at a much higher price than before. Lola Williams said this year they’re going to pay between $5,000 to $6,000 in property taxes if Macon-Bibb officials approve a new millage rate.

And for Williams, like many of the other seniors living in her community, higher taxes would also coincide with a change in how garbage and recycling fees are collected. It’s a burden, she said, especially for those living on a tight budget.

“When you’re on a fixed income and you have a plan for that in retirement. ... Even people that have not been burned out, in our association (meetings), we’ve learned that they are struggling out here,” the 75-year-old Robins Air Force Base retiree said. “There are a lot of seniors in our neighborhood.”

She added, “Now they want to add the garbage tax to it. We’re definitely not for the 3-mill increase. There is no one in this (neighborhood) association that would vote and agree to a 3-mill hike on our taxes. It is a great concern of ours. I know our county commissioners have been put on alert to our feelings, but whether our county commissioners are going to fight for us, I don’t know.”

The County Commission is expected to pass a 3-mill increase Aug. 15. Mayor Robert Reichert’s administration proposed the new tax to help cover additional expenses and to prevent the county from dipping further into a dwindling reserve.

Garbage fees in flux?

For Williams and other property owners, the move to an annual garbage fee collection could be changed before it even starts.

Commissioner Mallory Jones plans to introduce a measure Tuesday that would repeal the move to annual billing. He said he reluctantly voted in favor of the annual billing in March, but he now thinks it will harm many property owners.

At the time, commissioners were unaware there would also be a 3-mill tax increase coming this year, he said.

“That’s going to be a burden to a lot of people, low and middle income people in particular, people who have a mortgage.”

As of now, the switch from quarterly garbage billing to annual collections will be mailed out at the same time as property tax bills. The first $300 bill would cover 15 months of service, from October 2017 through 2018. The bills will then cover 12 months in subsequent years.

The change to annual billing was made in part to help offset a $1.4 million deficit for the solid waste department. Other communities have seen a better return on collections when it’s moved to an annual basis and sent out at the same time as property tax bills.

Another difference is that any lot with a residential structure will be billed, whether someone lives there or not or if garbage is actually picked up from the property. Commissioners did add an exemption that allows the disabled and low-income seniors to apply for a fee waiver.

At a recent County Commission meeting, some residents spoke out against the new garbage fee collection, saying it would place an unfair burden on people, including those who own several properties.

Jones said another component of his ordinance would mandate that a property must have running water in order to be billed for garbage and recycling.

“In my mind rethinking it and hearing citizens speak out against it, it’s just punitive,” he said. “Yes, we have a collection problem, but there has to be a better way to do it.”

This story was originally published August 4, 2017 at 6:23 PM with the headline "County residents fear hit to the wallet with tax increase on the horizon."