DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – If you are as mathematically challenged as many of us are, the calculation of a millage rate for property tax purposes is about as clear as hieroglyphics. Throw in something called a “rollback rate” and you may need to start searching the medicine cabinet for the Extra Strength Tylenol.

So here is the bottom line for Dawson County homeowners. The Dawson County Board of Commissioners intends to keep the millage rate at 8.138 mils in FY ‘18. But the amount you will pay for county services will tentatively increase by 4.45 percent. That’s because property values in the county have increased. Your house is worth more, therefore you will pay more in taxes. The owner of a $250,000 home will pay about $34.70 more than last year.

It is a tentative increase because before the millage rate can be adopted and the budget voted on, the county is required to hold three public hearings to give residents a chance to voice their opinions. Those meetings are set for August 10 at 4 p.m. and August 17 at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Not to increase your anxiety, but that is only one-third of the story. The 8.138 mils is just for services provided by the county such as public safety, water and sewer, roads and bridges and law enforcement. It does not include a budget for the county’s schools which costs almost twice as much to operate as the rest of the county.

But that’s a headache for another day.

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