The City of Kennesaw posted a state-mandated notice of property tax increase.

This does not represent an increase in the millage rate, according to the proposal in the draft budget for the city.

The state requires that if the current millage rate will result in an increase in the property tax digest, a “rollback rate” must be calculated, and if the taxes collected will be higher than those that would be collected under the rollback rate, that a notice of tax increase be posted.

Public hearings on the will be held on August 10, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. and August 17, 2020 at 10:30 a.m and 6:30 p.m..

Kennesaw’s net Maintenance and Operations (M&O) millage rate will remain at 8.00, with the bond millage rate remaining at 1.5. This will result in a net increase in taxes from M&O of 6.2 percent, and an increase in taxes levied by the bond millage rate of 7.0 percent.

Here is the press release issued by the city:

PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

The City of Kennesaw today announces its intention to increase the 2020 property taxes it will levy this year by 6.91 percent for M&O and 6.38 percent for Bond over the rollback millage rate.

Each year, the board of tax assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county. When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicate there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board tax assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and adjust the assessment. This is called a reassessment.

When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.

The budget tentatively adopted by the City of Kennesaw Council requires a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate; therefore, before the City of Kennesaw Council may finalize the tentative budget and set a final millage rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase.

All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at the City of Kennesaw Council Chambers located at 2529 J.O. Stephenson Avenue, Kennesaw, Georgia on August 10, 2020 at 6:00 PM and August 17, 2020 at 10:30 AM and 6:30 PM.