Concerns and Confusion Plague Citizens at BOC Millage Hearing

Holding their final two Public Hearings for the Millage Rate of Gilmer County, the Board of Commissioners listened as citizens delved into questions about the Rate.

Most of the questions focused on attempting to better understand the tax and assessing process including Mike King, who asked more questions from Tax Commissioner Becky Marshall and Head Assessor Theresa Gooch about his personal tax assessment drastically increasing.

Others expressed concerns on the increase, including Elizabeth Hunt who objected to the increase, but asked for the Commissioners to begin actively pursuing more conveniences for citizens. The Commissioner’s and she delved into a few specific possibilities including trash collection and the need for exact change at the county’s collection locations as well as publishing full copies of ordinances and changes on the county’s website for citizens who do not live close to the courthouse or cannot be in attendance of every meeting.

Another citizen, Jim Carr, spoke to the Board expressing his expectation that if the county is rejecting the rollback rate and increasing a half mill on the debt service, there should coincide a betterment of services the county provides. He noted his own road, Old Parker Place Road, falling into serious disrepair over the recent years.

Chairman Paris assured the citizens that the need for this Millage Rate would address these issues as he stated much of the county’s equipment, especially the Road Department, were in serious need of new equipment to provide the services the county needs. He further quoted one situation involving the county’s four dump trucks all being at least 19 years or older.

At their 3rd meeting of the day, the Commissioner’s did approve their 2016 General Maintenance and Operation (M&O) Millage Rate at 6.983, rejecting the rollback rate, as well as adding a half mill to the 2016 General Obligation Bond Millage Rate coming to 1.5 Mils.

Also approved was the Gilmer County Board of Education’s Recommended School Tax Rate at  16.62 Mils