County governments roll back millage rate even lower in their meetings this week 

HOUSTON COUNTY — This week, both the Houston County Government and the Houston County Board of Education voted to approve a revision of their respective millage rates, lowering them further. 

On Wednesday, the Houston County Board of Commissioners held a special called meeting to set the revised rates. Chairman Dan Perdue said at the meeting there was a calculation error of the rollback millage rate. The county will still be going to the rollback rate regardless of the error. 

Perdue said the “rollback” rate is defined as a rate at which the properties that have already existed on the tax digest will not generate any additional tax revenue. 

“It’s a good milestone to reach for, and I’m thankful that we’re able to hit it,” he said. 

According to the HHJ’s past reporting, the county’s  previously approved rollback rate was 8.419 mills. The revised rate is 8.37 mills. The Board of Education previous millage rate was 11.677 mills and has been revised to 11.567 mills. Incorporated areas of the county will have a total millage rate of 19.937 mills. Unincorporated areas of the county’s total rate will be 21.614 mills. This difference is due to the 1.677 fire levy only affecting the unincorporated areas. 

“We are fortunate to maybe be the only group of commissioners to lower the millage rate twice in one year,” Commissioner Mark Byrd said at the meeting.