Forsyth County homeowners could get a modest break on the county portion of their 2027 property tax bills if commissioners approve a proposed millage-rate reduction. The cut is small on paper, but it arrives as residents are sorting through another year of changing property assessments and tax calculations.
The math matters here: the proposed county maintenance-and-operations rate appears to be 4.727 mills, while 0.064 mills is the size of the reduction. Forsyth County's rate history lists the prior M&O rate at 4.791 mills, and Atlanta News First reports that the proposed rate would match the 4.727-mill rollback rate while leaving the 0.300-mill bond rate and 2.805-mill fire rate unchanged.
Georgia's rollback system is designed to keep local governments from collecting more revenue from existing property solely because assessments rose. The Georgia Department of Revenue says the rollback rate is calculated to produce roughly the same revenue that the previous year's rate would have generated without reassessments, excluding the effect of new or improved property.
For a home valued at $650,000, the proposed change would reduce the county portion of the property tax bill by an estimated $16.64, according to the Atlanta News First report. That is not a prediction for the entire tax bill, which can also include school, city, bond and fire levies, along with changes in assessed value and exemptions.
Forsyth County's own records show why the rollback calculation has become such a recurring part of the annual tax conversation. The county's net M&O tax digest rose 9.72% in 2025 to more than $21.4 billion, meaning even a lower rate can still support similar revenue as the taxable base expands.
Public Hearing Set For Next Thursday
The Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. next Thursday before adopting the rate, with the meeting scheduled for 110 E. Main Street, Suite 220, in Cumming, Atlanta News First reports. Residents will have an opportunity to weigh in before the county finalizes the proposal.
If approved, the county's M&O rate would fall by 1.34% from the previous rate. Homeowners should still compare their eventual bills against their assessment notices, since a millage cut does not automatically guarantee a lower total bill for every property owner.
