The Madison City Council set millage rates for the city’s three tax districts on Aug. 2, with all three set at the rollback rate.
The city set the Madison district rate at 5.317, which was a decrease of 0.107 from the previous year’s rate, which had been set at 5.424, also a rollback rate.
A millage rate of 5.317 will obligate a Madison resident to pay $213 in property taxes for each $100,000 of property owned. Last year, the same property value meant a tax bill of $217.
The city council set the millage rate for the special downtown tax district at 0.0980, down from 1.001 last year.
A millage rate of 0.098 obligates a property owner in the special downtown district to a tax of $39 for each $100,000 of assessed value. Last year, the tax obligation was $40 per 100,000 in assessed value.
Council set the millage rate for the interstate corridor at 1.079, a decrease from last year’s rate of 1.122. The new millage rate obligates a property owner to $43 of tax for each $100,000 of assessed value. Last year, the obligation was $45 per $100,000 in assessed value.
According to Madison Chief Financial Officer Karen Stapp, property taxes for Madison residents represent only 19% of a property owner’s total tax obligation. In comparison, Morgan County’s taxes account for 34%, and the Board of Education takes the biggest portion with 47%.
For example, a resident who owns property valued at $300,000 would owe the City of Madison $638, Morgan County $1,162, and the BOE $1,572, for a total tax obligation of $3,372.
In other business, City Manager John Klimm updated the council on the search for a permanent police chief.
Klimm said interviews have been conducted by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, a community panel put together in Madison for the search. Candidates are undergoing a comprehensive array of tests, including polygraphs and psychological evaluations.
Klimm said he hopes to have a new chief of police hired by Labor Day.
City Engineer Aaron Wadley reported that the timing of the red lights on Main Street at Washington Street and Jefferson Street appears to be off and said evaluations of the lights should be done soon.
The city announced it has secured a grant that would net approximately $2 million for the Horse Branch Trail Project, which will begin next year. The city will contribute $126,000, along with $504,000 in federal funds, for preliminary engineering on the project.
If more grants are approved, federal funds for right-of-way acquisition and construction will amount to $1,570,253 in 2027 and 2028, with the city contributing a 20% match.