Millage Rate

The City of Pooler invites your feedback on the 2024 proposed millage rate.

The City of Pooler, Georgia has tentatively adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 3.99 percent. All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at Pooler City Hall located at 100 US Highway 80 SW, Pooler, Georgia on Monday, July 15, 2024 at 6:00 p.m., Monday, July 22 at 6:00 p.m., and Monday, August 5, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. After the final public hearing, the millage rate will be formally adopted on August 12, 2024 during the regularly scheduled City Council Meeting. (Please note that the final public hearing and adoption date have been moved to August 12, 2024 under emergency conditions related to weather.)

This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 3.780 mills, an increase of .145 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more than 3.635 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $175,000 is approximately $10 and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $200,000 is approximately $16.

It’s important to note that while the percentage does not reflect an additional increase to the 2023 millage rate of 3.780, it is an increase to the rollback rate of 3.635 mills. The rollback rate is the millage rate that, when applied to the current year’s digest, will result in the same total revenue from property taxes as the previous year, excluding new growth.

Contact

Christopher T. Lightle
Chief Finance Officer
Finance

Contact

Sonya Jackson
Tax Commissioner
Chatham County Taxes

Contact

Corey Gillenwater
Board of Assessors
Chatham County Taxes

FAQs

WHAT DO MY PROPERTY TAXES PAY FOR?

Property tax revenues fund essential government services and operations within the City of Pooler. Taxes support maintenance and operations including public safety services, park development and maintenance, recreation facilities, street and sidewalk upkeep, as well as planning and development services and other community initiatives.

If you’re interested in further details about how these funds are allocated, you can view the Fiscal Year 2024 budget online or in the Finance Office at City Hall. This will provide you with comprehensive information on how taxpayer money is utilized for the benefit of the community.

WHO DETERMINES MY PROPERTY VALUE?

The Chatham County Board of Assessor’s appraisal staff determines the value of your property using things like the size of your property, the condition of your home, and what similar properties are selling for in your area. They then make recommendations to the Board of Assessors, who approve the values.

More information about their process can be found at https://boa.chathamcountyga.gov. The Board can be contacted online here, by calling (912) 652-7271, or visiting their office at 222 W Oglethorpe Ave, Suite #113, Savannah.

Please note that assessed value can change based on updates to property values, changes in local laws, or changes in the economy. In the City of Pooler, the current assessed value is 40% percentage of the market value.

 

HOW IS THE MILLAGE RATE CALCULATED?

To find out the millage rate, the City of Pooler divides the total amount of money needed by the total assessed value of all properties, then multiplies the result by 1,000.

Example:

  1. Assessed Value of Your Home: $200,000
  2. Millage Rate: 5 mills (which is $5 per $1,000)
  3. Tax Calculation:
    • Convert $200,000 into $1,000 units: 200,000 / 1,000 = 200 units
    • Multiply that number of units by the millage rate: 5 mills × 200 = 1,000 dollars

So, if the assessed value of your property is $200,000 and the millage rate is 5 mills, you would owe $1,000 in property taxes.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

AD VALOREM or PROPERTY TAX

A tax imposed upon the assessed value of real property.

APPEALS PROCESS

A procedure by which property owners can challenge the assessed value of their property if they believe it is incorrect or unfair.

ASSESSED VALUE

The value assigned to a property by the tax assessor for tax purposes.

BOARD OF ASSESSORS

A group responsible for determining the value of properties for tax purposes within a jurisdiction.

EXEMPTIONS (Homestead, Age Eligible, Disability, etc.)

Special conditions that reduce the taxable value of a property for certain property owners, such as homeowners, elderly persons, or those with disabilities.

FAIR MARKET VALUE

The price at which a property would sell between a willing buyer and a willing seller in a free market.

LEVYING AUTHORITY

A county, a municipality, or a consolidated city-county governing authority or other governing authority of a political subdivision of this state that exercises the power to levy ad valorem taxes to carry out the governing authority’s purposes.

LINE ITEM

A specific entry in a list or budget, often detailing individual expenses or revenues.

MILLAGE RATE

The amount of tax payable per dollar of the assessed value of a property. The formula is:

Millage Rate = Tax Levy / Taxable Value of Property × 1000

where:

  • Tax Levy is the total amount of taxes collected by the jurisdiction.
  • Taxable Value of Property is the value of the property as determined by the tax authority.

ROLLBACK RATE

In the context of property taxes, it refers to the millage rate that would bring in the same amount of revenue as the previous year, adjusted for changes in property values.

REVENUE NEUTRAL RATE

A millage rate that adjusts property tax rates to keep total tax revenue constant despite changes in property values or assessments.

TAX DIGEST

A record of all properties within a tax jurisdiction, including their assessed values and tax liabilities.

TAXABLE VALUE

The assessed value of a property minus any exemptions, which determines the amount of property tax owed.