The Board of Assessors recently released the 2019 Tax Digest, which indicated a 5.8% overall increase in property assessments throughout the City of Savannah.  State Law requires taxing entities that experience an increase in tax digest to calculate a “rollback rate,” which is a millage rate that will generate the same amount of revenue as the previous year’s millage rate minus new construction or annexation.  Due to the higher Tax Digest, the City’s rollback rate for 2019 is 12.856 mills.  At the July 18, 2019 Council Workshop, the City Council directed staff to prepare millage advertisements and documentation proposing the adoption of the rollback rate of 12.856.  The proposed millage rate is a .54 mill decrease from the 2018 millage rate, which was set at 13.40 mills.  The chart below shows Savannah’s millage rate since 1971.

It is recommended that City Council amend the 2019 Revenue Ordinance; adopt a tax rate on real and personal property of 12.856 mills on the dollar (0.01256) or $12.56 per $1,000 in assessed value; and adopt a special service district tax rate for the Water Transportation District of .200 mills on the dollar (.0002) or $0.20 per $1,000 in assessed value.

Approval