[0:02] Welcome all to the border Bear Wood
County Board of Commissioners special
[0:06] called meeting August 31st, 2026 at 6:00
p.m. Please silence your cell phones and
[0:12] any
other electronic devices.
[0:15] Please stand for the indication given by
the bishop
[0:19] followed by a prayer and two pledges.
[0:23] » Heavenly Father, we thank you for this
day for the opportunity to come together
[0:27] in service to our community.
As we begin this meeting, grant us
[0:31] wisdom and good judgment in the
decisions before us. Help us to listen
[0:36] with patience and work together with
with spirit of cooperation. Guide our
[0:42] actions, bless the citizens represented,
and help us always remember the
[0:47] responsibility entrusted us. In Jesus
Christ we name, we pray. Amen.
[0:53] » Amen.
>> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
[0:56] United States of America, and to the
republic
[0:59] for which it stands, one nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and
[1:04] justice for all.
[1:18] » Now we'd like to adopt the agenda. Any
changes to the agenda?
[1:22] » No sir, Mr. Chairman.
>> I'll make a motion we adopt the agenda.
[1:25] » Second.
>> All in favor?
[1:30] Now I need a motion to go to public
hearing for 2026 property tax millage
[1:35] rate.
>> So moved.
[1:36] » Second.
>> All in favor?
[1:40] » Commissioners, Georgia law requires the
county to advertise its tax digest and
[1:44] 5-year history, and levy each year, and
to hold a public hearing before the
[1:48] Board of Commissioners adopts the annual
millage rates.
[1:51] The 2026 rollback rates have been
calculated by the tax commissioner,
[1:55] certified on the Department of Revenue's
PT-32.14
[1:59] The required notices were published in
the county's legal organ on August 20th,
[2:02] 2026.
The purpose of this public hearing is to
[2:06] provide citizens with an opportunity to
comment on the proposed millage rates
[2:10] before the Board of Commissioners takes
actions to adopt the county's millage
[2:13] rates and approve the millage rate
adopted by the Board of Education.
[2:17] The proposed rollback rates for 2026 are
as follows: Countywide General
[2:21] Government, 12.277
mills.
[2:25] Fire District, 2.304 mills. Fire Bond,
0.646 mills. The Board of Education
[2:32] millage rate adopted on August 28th,
2026, 16.661
[2:37] mills. Because the county has proposed
to adopt the calculated rollback rates,
[2:41] the proposed rates do not constitute a
property tax increase under Georgia law.
[2:46] At this time, the recommendation is to
conduct the public hearing, allow an
[2:48] opportunity for public comment, and to
ensure the record reflects that the
[2:52] hearing was properly advertised and
conducted with accordance with Georgia
[2:55] law.
[2:59] » At this time, I'd like to ask if anybody
have public comment.
[3:14] There's no public comment.
We'd like to adopt the 2026
[3:21] » I'll make a motion to close the public
hearing on 2026 millage rate.
[3:27] » Second. All in favor?
[3:31] » At this time, I'd like to adopt the 2026
millage rate recommended from
[3:36] Meriwether County Board of Education and
associated documents.
[3:41] » Commissioners, approval of the
Meriwether County Board of Education's
[3:43] 2026 millage rate is required by the
Board of Commissioners. The Board of
[3:47] Education adopted a millage rate of
16.661
[3:50] mills on August 28th, 2026.
State law requires the Board of
[3:54] Commissioners to approve the Board of
Education's millage rate so that they
[3:58] may properly levy be levied and
collected by the Tax Commissioner.
[4:02] And you have the cabinet documentation
of the Board of Education resolution to
[4:06] adopt the millage rate and they did
advertise their 5-year history.
[4:12] » There's a small decrease also.
>> Yes, sir.
[4:16] The school board decreased
.155
[4:20] mills.
[4:42] » We have a motion to adopt
>> I make a motion to adopt it as
[4:45] presented.
>> Second.
[4:47] » All in favor.
[4:52] Now we need to adopt 2026 millage rate
for Barrow County. Adopt resolution and
[4:57] all the associated documents.
>> Commissioners, as presented, the 2026
[5:02] rollback millage rates have been
calculated and certified by the Board of
[5:05] Assessors and Tax Commissioner and has
properly been advertised.
[5:08] The proposed millage rates are
countywide general government 12.277
[5:13] mills, fire district 2.304 mills, fire
bond .646 mills. Adoption of these
[5:20] rollback rates ensures that the 2026
millage levy does not constitute a
[5:24] property tax increase under Georgia law.
A resolution has been prepared for the
[5:28] Board's consideration and approval. The
resolution will require the signatures
[5:32] of all Board members, the County
Attorney, and the County Clerk.
[5:35] With the Chairman authorized
authorized
[5:38] to execute any additional documents
necessary to complete the millage rate
[5:42] process.
And the millage rate for the county
[5:48] reduced 0.113.
[5:52] We did take the rollback rate that was
2.07.
[5:56] And for anybody that's interested in
that, the cost of a mill in 2026 is
[6:01] $867,808.
[6:04] It's about a 10% increase over last
year.
[6:08] And that's just due to the increase of
the digest, not overall tax. So, it's
[6:13] the assessment of the tax in the county.
[6:17] And the fire bond and fire district was
slightly decreased as well.
[6:22] Fire district went down 0.021.
Fire bond reduction of 0.006.
[6:35] And because we took the rollback rate
and a decrease in the military, we only
[6:39] required to have one public hearing.
[6:44] » We have a
>> motion in period of 2026 millage rate,
[6:47] Meriwether County.
>> So moved.
[6:49] » Second.
>> All in favor.
[6:53] Would it include the adopting the
resolution in lieu of the chairman
[6:57] signing any other related documents?
>> Yes.
[6:59] » Yeah, I thought that was included. I
thought the motion included that.
[7:02] » Yes.
>> It does.
[7:03] » Well, I mean
>> How we doing for maybe for the rest
[7:06] » to approve carries with it the
chairman's authorization.
[7:09] » And adopting the resolution.
>> Yes.
[7:11] » Okay. We'll make sure everybody is on
the same page.
[7:17] We'd have to leave for the executive
session.
[7:19] » We do for personnel.
>> I'd like a motion to go into executive
[7:23] session for litigation, personnel, real
estate, tax matters, and cyber security.
[7:28] » So moved.
>> Okay.
[7:30] » All in favor.
Motion to come back into uh
[7:34] I'd motion to go back into regular
session.
[7:36] » So moved.
>> Second.
[7:38] » All in favor.
>> Aye.
[7:39] » No action was taken in executive
session.
[7:42] Need a motion to adjourn.
>> So moved.
[7:45] » Second.
>> All in favor.
[7:46] » Aye.