Baldwin County property owners are staring down a property tax bill that could nearly double, as county leaders scramble to cover a $15 million debt owed to a local bank by the end of the year. Interim County Manager Paul Van Haute has proposed raising the millage rate from roughly 10 mills to 19 mills, a hike that would push Baldwin County among the highest-taxed jurisdictions in Georgia.
Van Haute told commissioners that the tax hike is the only way Baldwin County will get out of its $15 million debt, according to WMAZ. The county owes the money to Century Bank, a state-chartered community lender headquartered in Milledgeville, with the full $15 million due by December 31, per The Union-Recorder. The debt reportedly started as a $10 million borrowing line before swelling to $15 million, and Georgia law caps short-term county borrowing at 75% of the prior year's tax collections — a ceiling that limits how much more debt Baldwin County can legally take on given the roughly $18 million in property taxes it collected the previous cycle, the paper reports.
For homeowners, the math is stark. A $100,000 home could see its owner pay around $360 in additional property taxes if the rate climbs by nine mills, per the WMAZ report. District 4 Commissioner Andrew Strickland says he opposes the increase outright. “I absolutely oppose” raising the millage rate to 19 mills or taking a drastic step like that, Strickland told the station, adding that a hike of that size could leave some residents unable to afford their homes.
Residents Weigh In as Debate Heats Up
The reaction from everyday residents has been similarly blunt. Milledgeville resident Mason Shepperd told WMAZ he probably won't buy a house in Baldwin County if the tax increase goes through, a sentiment that captures the broader unease rippling through the community as officials weigh their next move.
Strickland, for his part, says he remains optimistic that the county can recover from its budget crisis without resorting to the full nine-mill hike. He acknowledged that the public understands officials don't want the community to stay in its current condition, but he argues there are other paths forward, including asset sales, before residents' wallets take the hit.
How Baldwin County Landed Here
The crisis traces back to a February 2026 audit that led to the firing of former county manager Carlos Tobar after outside auditors uncovered millions in untracked spending and overdue vendor payments, according to 13WMAZ. Assistant county manager Dawn Hudson was fired in July 2026 and has since filed a whistleblower lawsuit claiming she was terminated after warning leaders about budget irregularities, the station reports. Because Georgia local governments cannot declare bankruptcy, commissioners are working against a hard deadline, with state intervention a possibility if the note goes unpaid.
Beyond the proposed millage increase, the county has floated selling off public assets to raise cash. Van Haute has suggested selling the county airport and the Sibley-Smith Industrial Park, though Strickland told WMAZ that selling the airport does not seem to be a viable option for the county, noting it has received federal and state funding. County officials have also listed the Ogden and Stevens buildings on the former Central State Hospital campus for immediate sale, and any property sale requires putting the asset out for bid before commissioners decide whether to accept an offer.
A Bond Deal and a Ticking Clock
Commissioners have unanimously approved a letter of intent with Raymond James & Associates to underwrite a Public Facilities Authority Revenue Bond that would attempt to lease the county courthouse and government complex for up to $30 million, according to the Union-Recorder. But Van Haute has cautioned that closing a municipal bond deal within 120 days remains uncertain, leaving the county in a race against the December 31 payment deadline with no guarantee the financing will arrive in time.
To trim costs in the meantime, the Board of Commissioners has instituted a hiring freeze, restricted non-essential use of county vehicles, authorized the sale of obsolete equipment, and moved to create a uniform fire protection and emergency medical services fee, per 13WMAZ. Van Haute has also floated a potential upside: if asset sales or bond issuances bring in $20 million to $30 million, commissioners could offer tax rebates to property owners once the $15 million bank note is settled, the Union-Recorder reports.
Legal Hurdles Before Any Vote
Any formal increase above the state-calculated rollback rate triggers strict procedural requirements under Georgia's Taxpayer Bill of Rights, O.C.G.A. § 48-5-32.1. The law requires local levying authorities to publish formal notices, issue press releases, and hold three public hearings before adopting a higher millage rate, according to the Georgia Department of Revenue. Baldwin County commissioners adopted a rollback rate of 9.76 mills last September, down from 10.02 mills the year before, at a time when property taxes made up roughly 60% of county revenue and local option sales taxes generated another 21%.
Whether the county's twin strategies — the courthouse bond and the asset sales — can close before the bank's deadline remains an open question, one that will shape how large a role the tax increase ultimately plays in erasing Baldwin County's debt.
