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[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.