SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – The City of Savannah is working to decide what they need to collect from tax payers this year.
Thursday during their City Hall meeting at 2 p.m., they will be discussing the millage rate. The proposed rate for a home that is valued at $100,000 would pay about $32 in taxes to the city.
The City says some of their top priorities when deciding how much they plan to collect from taxpayers is to make sure they have a steady finances right now as we are dealing with uncertain times and inflation.
One of the areas the city plans to spend more money is on the Public Safety Workforce.
Right now, the starting salary for police officers and firefighters is around $44,000. They have proposed increasing that to $48,000 for firefighters and $50,000 for starting officers.
Under the proposal, Savannah Police would also offer a $5,000 new hire sign on bonus and a two year retention incentive of $5,000.
“To ensure that we maintain the highest skilled and best qualified public safety agencies in the nation, we recognize that we are in a bidding war and the city of Savannah is ready to play,” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson.
But of course that comes with a price tag – all by setting the new millage rate.
Right now the mill rate for the city is at 12.739. They are proposing a reduction of about half a mill, which would bring it down to 12.2 mills.
Even though that is a reduction, most people will see an increase in taxes because property values have increased.
The only way the mill reduction would actually completely even out is if the city would roll back the rate even further to 11.399. But the mayor says because of the current economic climate, that is why they are only proposing to roll it back to 12.2, which is the lowest millage rate for the city in 35 years.
“The millage rate reduction will allow us to remain on solid financial footing during these uncertain economic times, we want to adopt a rate that provides for our community’s needs with an eye towards lowering taxes without having to increase them in the future, it make no sense to me to drop taxes, then raise them, then drop taxes, than raise them so what is the lowest we can drop them and not have to raise them again,” said Mayor Johnson.
Because it is technically an increase, by law the city is required to host public hearings. The first one is happening at City Hall during their council meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon. Then on July 28 you will have two more opportunities at 10 a.m. or 6:30 p.m.
Anyone is welcome to attend those sessions that happen before the city plans to adopt the new millage rate at their council meeting two weeks from Thursday.
Copyright 2022 WTOC. All rights reserved.
