Liberty County property values drive bigger tax bills

Jan. 19, 11:40 a.m.: Correction: State Sen. René Kemp, not former State Sen. Brian Kemp, cosponsored the Kemp-Deloach-Williams (KDW) Tax Relief Act.

Property tax bills for 2024 are due, and many Liberty County homeowners say they are upset about a significant jump in their monthly mortgage payments. County officials say the higher taxes and, for those with escrow accounts, higher mortgage and insurance payments, say higher property values, not the millage rate, are to blame. And you may be able to work out something if you can’t come up with a hefty lump-sum payment.

How property taxes work

When property taxes go up, under Georgia law, a rollback millage rate guarantees the government the same amount of revenue as the previous year. When property values go up, a government entity might say it needs to increase the millage rate.

A mil is 1/10 of a percent, or 0.1%. 

In 2024, Liberty County’s millage rate was 20.216 mils. The Industrial Authority got 2 mils; the Hospital Authority, 3.793 mils; the schools, 14.441 mils; recreation, 1.335 mils; and EMS, 2.098 mils. If you live in a city that charges a millage rate, you also pay those taxes; Hinesville’s was 15.97 mils. Duplicate services, like county fire charges when a city has fire service, get credited back

In Liberty County, homeowners pay several taxes for government services. Each of these taxes is based on 40% of your home’s fair market value, minus your homestead or other property tax exemptions. 

Higher taxes in your mortgage’s escrow account mean higher monthly payments unless you can pay the taxes up front. 

If your home is paid off, you may need to come up with extra cash or work out a payment plan.

Why so high?

Liberty County Tax Assessor Keith Payne says two things drove up the 2024 tax bill: The governor’s 2023 homestead tax relief grant was not renewed, and property values rose. Payne said there’s little difference between the 2022 and 2024 tax bills, “especially if they have the homestead that is applied here in Liberty County.”

Who handles county taxes?

Two offices deal with different parts of the property tax process: the tax assessor and the tax commissioner. Both are in the Courthouse Annex, 112 Main Street, Hinesville. 

Tax Assessor

The Tax Assessor’s Office figures out how much your property is worth, based on various factors, to come up with your home’s “fair market value.” That’s not the number you might see on a real estate sales website like Zillow. Each year, after the tax assessor calculates the value of each property, it sends that list to the Georgia Department of Revenue. The state then checks the numbers for accuracy

You can ask to see the comparable values (“comps”) of nearby homes used to calculate your fair market value. The assessor’s office may adjust your home’s value. You also can appeal those findings to the Board of Equalization. 

Tax Commissioner

The Tax Commissioner’s Office bills and collects the taxes. If you don’t pay your taxes for several years, the tax commissioner also has power from the sheriff to sell a tax deed to your home. You then have one year to pay off the deed, plus 20% interest, plus penalties, or lose your house.

Homestead exemption: a must-have

Your first stop is the Tax Assessor’s Office. Ask whether you qualify for one or more exemptions. Each property is different, and each homeowner’s situation is different. 

If you bought a new home in 2024, or if you’ve never gotten around to applying, be sure to get your $5,000 homestead exemption to cut your property tax bill. You only have to apply once to get the exemption for as long as you own your primary residence. Bring your Georgia driver’s license, Georgia vehicle registration, and a recent water, power or gas bill to apply.

To qualify, you must be a Georgia resident, live in the home, vote in Liberty County, and, if you have a vehicle, register that vehicle in Liberty County. However, you can only apply between Jan. 1 and April 1 for the current tax year. If you wait, and the deadline passes, you can still apply but won’t get the exemption until next year.

KDW: More tax relief

You also can apply for the KDW, or Kemp-Deloach-Williams Tax Relief Act exemption. That law, cosponsored by then-State Sen. René Kemp and State Reps. Al Williams and Buddy Deloach, capped Liberty County taxes at 3% or the cost of living, whichever is less.   

More exemptions

You may be eligible for additional exemptions. If you’re between ages 62 and 64 and have a homestead exemption, you can get another $15,000 exemption on county taxes and $17,000 on school taxes.

At age 64, if you’re still working and make between $10,000 and $96,432 per year, that school tax exemption jumps to $25,000.

If you’re 65 or older, have a homestead exemption, and your household income is less than $25,000 per year, you no longer have to pay solid waste charges.

If you’re a 100% disabled veteran. or if you are the spouse of a servicemember who is 100% disabled or who was killed in action, and you qualify for a homestead exemption, the taxable value of your home is exempt up to $121,812.

And if you’re the unremarried surviving spouse of a firefighter or peace officer killed in the line of duty, you pay $0.

Liberty County Tax Commissioner Jamie Sharp said people owe the county “about $10 million” in back taxes. If you can’t afford to pay, he said, you can come into the office to discuss a payment arrangement. The statute of limitations for a tax bill is 7 years.

“Our goal is just to collect the taxes,” Sharp said. “We’re not trying to sell anybody’s property. So if we can help them keep it all together, keep it off the courthouse steps, we’re gonna do everything in our power to do that.”

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