Henry County Considering Tax Increase
MCDONOUGH — The Henry County Board of Commissioners held a fiscal year 2025 budget workshop Tuesday and one of the proposals is an increase in the millage rate.
The current rate is 12.733 mills, and the proposal is to increase it to 14.658 mills.
At the 12.733 rate, the owner of a home valued at $100,000 would pay $509.32 in Henry County BOC taxes. The county has had the 12.733 rate for six years.
At the 14.658 rate, the owner of a home valued at $100,000 would pay $586.32 in county taxes — not including school board or other taxes.
According to information presented at the workshop, the increase would go to public safety.
“As a taxpayer, it’s hard to talk adding taxes — it’s extremely hard,” Commissioner Kevin Lewis said, but added that there have been price increases in everything in the last two to three years.
He also said that the county is trying to maintain a healthy budget and reserve fund, but it still has to provide services to residents.
Commission Chair Carlotta Harrell said public safety is the county’s No. 1 priority.
“This is an investment in public safety,” she said, adding, “We have to figure out a way to pay for it.”
The county is behind on the number of fire stations, equipment and trucks it needs to keep up with population growth and the increase in call volume.
Henry County Fire Chief Jonathan Burnette said the last new fire station was built in 2018, and those that have been added since then have been replacement stations.
With the county not keeping up with the number of fire stations it needs, that could mean home insurance rates could go up if the county loses its Insurance Services Office rating.
“It’s a high possibility we’re going to lose our current (ISO) rating and insurance premiums will go up,” Burnette said.
Henry County is up for its five-year ISO evaluation in 2025, Burnette said.
Police call volume has also increased — about 30% in the last six years, Henry County Public Safety Director Mark Amerman said.
“If we don’t keep up with it, we’re going to be in big trouble,” he said.
In 2023, Henry County E-911 took about 400,000 calls — nearly 1,100 calls per day.
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The fiscal year 2025 general fund budget is expected to increase by 8.7% to $259.7 million — up from nearly $239 million in 2024.
Fire, police and code enforcement account for about 39% of the general fund budget.
According to statistics presented at the workshop, the county lost about $34 million in revenue because of the frozen homestead exemption.
Since 2018, the county has lost about $82 million because of the exemption.
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The county has a public budget hearing scheduled during its Tuesday, May 7 meeting at 9 a.m.
A second public hearing is scheduled Tuesday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m.
The county commission is expected to approve the fiscal year 2025 budget at the May 21 meeting.
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Tuesday’s budget workshop is on the Henry County Government YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gFjSCFD2R8.