Barrow Journal

The Barrow County Board of Commissioners has scheduled its only public hearing about the fiscal year 2012 budget for Tuesday.

The Sept. 13 hearing will start at 6 p.m. and will be in the commissioners meeting room on the second floor of the government’s headquarters at 233 E. Broad St.

Because the proposed budget was balanced without raising taxes, state law requires only one public hearing prior to the board’s adoptions of the spending plan and tax rate at the end of this month.

The millage rate itself is to rise by .592 of one mill to a “rollback” millage rate that is based on a state formula that enables local jurisdictions to keep property tax revenues level as property values rise and fall with the economy.

The rate on October tax bills everywhere but Winder will be 10.930 mills. That city’s rollback rate will be 8.70 mills and is lower due to an additional city fire tax.

According to a five-year millage rate history released last week by Tax Commissioner Melinda Williams, the new rollback rate should generate no more than about $10,803 in additional revenues for the county in the upcoming fiscal year.