City of Savannah to Consider Maintaining Lowest Millage Rate Since 1987 • Savannah Herald

City of Savannah to Consider Maintaining Lowest Millage Rate Since 1987

SAVANNAH – The Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Savannah will consider adopting a 2026 property tax millage rate of 11.749 mills, unchanged from the 2025 adopted rate and the rate used to develop the City’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

If adopted, the City will maintain its lowest property tax rate since 1987, continuing its long-standing commitment to responsible fiscal management while funding essential City services.

Under Georgia law, local governments are required to calculate a rollback millage rate, which is the rate that would generate the same amount of property tax revenue as the previous year if property values had not been reassessed. For 2026, the rollback millage rate is 11.402 mills.

Because the proposed millage rate of 11.749 mills is 0.347 mills higher than the rollback rate, state law requires the City to advertise the proposal as a property tax increase, even though the proposed millage rate itself is unchanged from 2025.

For properties that increased in assessed value and are not protected by the Stephens-Day Exemption, maintaining the current millage rate represents an increase of 3.00 percent over the rollback rate. For example:

• A home with a fair market value of $375,000 that does not receive the Stephens-Day Exemption would see an estimated annual increase of approximately $52.05.

Georgia law also requires three public hearings before a governing authority may adopt a millage rate that exceeds the rollback rate. The hearings provide residents with an opportunity to comment on the proposed rate.

All interested citizens are invited to attend one of the following public hearings at Savannah City Hall, 2 E. Bay Street:

• Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 6:01 p.m.
• Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
• Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.

Following the required public hearings, the Mayor and Aldermen will consider adoption of the Fiscal Year 2026 millage rate.

The public may offer comment in one of two ways:

1. Anyone with interest in speaking on this agenda item may submit evidence, including written comments, to ClerkofCouncil@savannahga.gov or by calling (912) 651-6441. Written comments become public record and are shared with the Mayor and Aldermen prior to the council meeting.
2. Members of the public may come to City Hall council chambers to share their thoughts with City Council.

City of Savannah Millage Rates

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