Maysville: Your Tax Rate Depends Upon Where You Live
Banks Residents To Pay Higher Rate Than Jackson Residents
By Kerri Testement
Maysville’s Banks County residents are slated to have a higher property tax bill than last year, while the city’s Jackson County residents will pay less.
The Maysville City Council held the first of three public hearings to address the proposed city tax changes Thursday. Public hearings will also be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20, and Monday, March 24, at the Maysville Public Library.
Banks County residents in Maysville will have a millage rate of .0810 mills, compared to .710 mills last year. Total property taxes to be paid among Banks County residents in the city is projected at $14,589, compared to $11,742 in 2007.
Jackson County residents in Maysville, however, are expected to see their millage drop from 3.194 mills in 2007 to 2.728 this year. Total property taxes to be paid among Jackson County residents in Maysville is estimated at $64,196, compared to $72,322 last year.
“Part of this complexity is Maysville being in two counties,” explained city attorney Gary Freeman.
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled several years ago that cities located in more than one county can’t use sales tax funds from one county to offset sales tax revenue from another county, Freeman said.
Maysville’s millage rate is determined by how much sales tax revenue it receives from Banks and Jackson counties. That amount can change each year between the two counties, he said.
Maysville received $147,016 in sales tax funds from Banks County in 2007, compared to $127,875 in sales tax revenue from Jackson County, Freeman explained.
Banks County receives a large portion of its sales tax revenue from Banks Crossing in Commerce. Stores on the Banks County portion of the area include the Home Depot and Tanger Town Centre. Tanger Outlet Center II is located in Jackson County.
“Banks Crossing really does us a lot of good,” Freeman said of the sales tax revenue.
Banks County residents in Maysville also have to pay for a fire tax, which is estimated at $17,652 this year. Jackson County residents pay their fill bill with their county taxes, Freeman said.
From both counties, Maysville is anticipating to receive a total of $289,590 from sales tax funds and $78,786 in property taxes.
Overall, Maysville is planning to raise property taxes for Banks County residents by 14.08 percent, while decreasing property taxes for Jackson County residents by 14.59 percent.
Freeman said while those numbers appear big, they may be deceiving.
“For us, I don’t think that anyone’s taxes will up more than $10 (this year),” Freeman said.
The budget process in Maysville begins when city leaders establish a proposed budget, Freeman said.
Maysville is proposing a 2008 budget of $1.2 million, compared to $1.1 million last year.
City officials then review anticipated revenue, including property taxes, sales tax and other income sources, Freeman said. The gross millage rate for residents in both counties of the city must be the same.
Maysville does not plan to raise its gross millage rate from 8.162 mills, but since sales tax revenue from Banks and Jackson counties differed and is credited against respective property tax rates, property taxes must be adjusted, according to Freeman.
In other years, Jackson County residents in Maysville paid more in property taxes than their neighbors in Banks County, Freeman said.
“This is the way the law says we have to calculate it,” he said.
Comprehensive Plan
The Maysville City Council also heard a presentation Thursday about the town’s 2008-2030 comprehensive plan.
Adam Hazell, planning director of the Georgia Mountains Regional Development Center, gave the council preliminary data about Maysville.
The data included information about the city’s population, economic development, housing, transportation and cultural resources.
The comprehensive plan provides a “snapshot” of a community that identifies existing resources and opportunities for the future, Hazell said. A comprehensive plan helps officials establish their goals and priorities for a community, based on existing conditions, he added.
Maysville is seeking 12-18 people for an advisory committee to assist the city council on the comprehensive plan. Those on the committee will review issues as a whole of the community and make suggestions to the council, Hazell said. The committee is expected to meet two to three times over the next few months.
