Butts County residents, keep an eye on your mailboxes. The 2024 Notice of Assessments, which are not bills but rather evaluations of your property's fair market value as of January 1, 2024, are on their way. The Tax Assessor's Office is ready to address any concerns or questions regarding these recent assessments, as reported by Butts County's official website.
If you haven't received your assessment by mid-May, or if you simply disagree with the value assessed, you're entitled to an appeal. But don't drag your feet; you've got 45 days from the assessment date to make your case. And with the county's millage rate having slid from 17.413 mils in 2011 to a significantly lower 10.959 mils, now's the time to scrutinize those figures. The county wants residents to remember that despite any initial concerns, they have consistently managed to lower, or at the very least maintain, the millage rate year after year.
Property values are determined by appraisers using formulas derived from state laws and requirements set by the Department of Revenue and the General Assembly. These appraisals impact the financial fabric of the community, with taxable value influencing the local budget and in turn, the quality of services provided.
The fiscal soundings of Butts County seem, on the surface, to bode well for its inhabitants. The Commission is currently crafting a budget to be adopted in June, and sources suggest there's more good news on the horizon. "Last year, this was the lowest the millage rate has been since 1993 and was the lowest of all six of the surrounding counties," indicated Butts County's statement. This lean millage rate equates to roughly $10.96 for every thousand dollars of taxable value, a metric household budgeters are surely already calculating.
For those looking to appeal, or if the Notice of Assessment is nowhere to be found come May, residents can touch base with the Tax Assessor's Office by calling 770-775-8207. In the dance of dollars and cents that characterizes tax season, knowledge, as always, is the power move.
