Cobb declares proposed property tax increase and calls hearings

Following Tuesday’s presentation of the proposed Cobb government fiscal year 2026 budget, the county on Thursday formally announced Thursday that it would come with a property tax increase.

While the proposed millage rates in four funds is the same as the current fiscal year 2025 budget, those rates are not being “rolled back” to match current spending totals, and to reflect the value of reassessed properties.

Here’s the official description in that statement:

“When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a ‘rollback’ millage rate must be computed according to specific instructions issued by the Georgia Department of Revenue. This hypothetical ‘rollback’ millage rate would have produced the same total tax revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.”

The $1.325 billion budget outlined to Cobb commissioners Tuesday represents a nearly four percent increase from FY 2025 spending totals.

In the county’s announcement Thursday morning, the budget proposal represents a 1.09 percent rise in the amount of property taxes that would be collected.

Under Georgia law, local jurisdictions that do that must designate that they’re asking for a property tax increase and schedule three public hearings. The details are as follows, and will take place at the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., Marietta:

• Tuesday, July, 8, 2025, at 9 a.m.

• Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, July 22, 2025, 7 p.m.

Budget adoption is scheduled following the final hearing on July 22.

The projected Cobb tax digest growth for 2025 is 2,7 percent, and the final figure will be determined in July.

The general fund is the largest of the county’s tax collecting mechanisms, and is being proposed to hold at 8.46 mills. General fund taxes would fund $645 million in revenues, up from the present fiscal year 2025 total of $624 million.

That fund covers most county government services, including police.

The fire fund covers fire and emergency services and would stay at 2.99 mills, collecting $161 million, up by $8 million. Those revenues also are collected from property taxes.