Jonesboro city officials have announced plans to raise property taxes by 40.48 percent over the rollback millage rate, a move that would push the city's millage rate from 7.500 to 12.500 mills and add roughly $28 a year to the tax bill on a $200,000 home. The proposal, which requires three public hearings before it can be finalized, marks the first change to Jonesboro's municipal rate since it held steady from 2022 through 2025.
According to news-daily.com, the tentative increase would raise the millage rate by 3.602 mills, and without it, the rate would be no more than 8.898 mills. For an owner of a $550,000 non-homestead property, the increase would translate to about $89 more per year, per the same report. The Jonesboro City Council may finalize the tentative budget and set the final millage rate after the hearing process concludes.
Why the City Says a Tax Increase Is Even Necessary
Under Georgia's Taxpayer Bill of Rights, cities and counties are required to calculate a rollback millage rate designed to offset inflationary increases in property values, so that a jurisdiction does not collect a windfall simply because home values went up, according to the Georgia Department of Revenue. The Board of Tax Assessors re-determines property values whenever recent sales indicate a shift in fair market value, and reviews assessed values of taxable county property every year, the same report notes. Because Jonesboro's tentative budget calls for a millage rate above that rollback benchmark, state law formally classifies the move as a tax increase, triggering a specific set of transparency requirements.
Georgia Code § 48-5-32.1 mandates that any local government proposing a rate above the rollback level hold three public hearings, issue a formal press release, and publish a notice of at least 30 square inches in a local newspaper at least a week before each hearing, according to the Department of Revenue. State tax officials are barred from approving local tax digests if a levying authority fails to follow those steps. Jonesboro's hearings are scheduled for 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. next Wednesday, September 16, and a final hearing at 5 p.m. on September 23, all at Jonesboro City Hall at 1859 City Center Way, according to news-daily.com. The hearings will allow residents to weigh in directly on the proposed increase.
How the Math Works on Your Tax Bill
In Clayton County, ad valorem property taxes are calculated on an assessed value equal to 40 percent of a property's fair market value, meaning a home worth $200,000 has a taxable assessed value of $80,000 before exemptions, according to the Clayton County Tax Commissioner. Jonesboro's proposed rate would be layered on top of that assessed value along with other local levies. Property values across the city have also been climbing: the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey found Jonesboro's median home value reached $213,950 in 2024, a 62.5 percent jump from 2020, while renters occupy 60.2 percent of the city's housing units.
City property taxes are only one slice of what Jonesboro residents owe each year. The Clayton County Board of Commissioners levies a net millage rate of 14.552 mills for 2025-2026, Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services adds 4.146 mills, and the Clayton County Board of Education charges 19.600 mills to fund its operating budget, according to Clayton County government figures. Combined, city, county, fire, and school levies can push the overall tax burden on Jonesboro properties above 45 to 50 mills.
A Familiar Pattern Across Clayton County
Jonesboro's proposal follows a similar move by Clayton County itself. In July 2024, the Clayton County Board of Commissioners announced a 31.11 percent increase over its own rollback rate, raising the county's maintenance and operations millage by 3.622 mills to 15.266 mills after holding three public hearings that summer. Jonesboro's current proposal, at 40.48 percent over rollback, exceeds that precedent in percentage terms.
State lawmakers have also moved to soften the impact of rising assessments statewide. The Georgia General Assembly enacted House Bill 581, known as the Save Our Homes Act, creating a statewide option for an adjusted base-year homestead exemption meant to cap how quickly a home's taxable value can climb after reassessment. Georgia law separately allows municipalities and counties to offer Freeport Exemptions ranging from 20 to 100 percent on commercial inventory, a tool local governments use to attract manufacturing and logistics employers, according to the Georgia Department of Revenue.
Jonesboro residents who want to weigh in on the proposed rate can attend any of the three scheduled hearings at City Hall. The council is expected to consider public input from those sessions before voting to finalize the tentative budget and set the city's official millage rate for the year.
