Mt. Airy to consider 4.5-mill property tax rate

MOUNT AIRY, Ga. — The Mt. Airy Town Council will consider the town’s proposed 4.5-mill property tax rate for 2026 during a meeting Monday night following a public hearing on the proposed rate.

The public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Town Hall, where residents will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed millage rate before the hearing is closed. The council will then convene its regular meeting and consider the 4.5-mill rate.

Mt. Airy’s website currently lists a “2026 Notice of Tax Increase” along with the town’s current levy and five-year history.

The proposed 4.5-mill rate is also the rate used for Mt. Airy in Habersham County’s current analysis of the proposed Property Tax Relief Local Option Sales Tax, or PTRLOST.

Under the county’s analysis, if voters approve PTRLOST in the Nov. 3 referendum, the additional 1% sales tax would generate revenue that would be used to reduce property tax millage rates for Habersham County and participating municipalities. The county’s consultant projects a 3.608-mill reduction for Mt. Airy, taking the town’s projected rate from 4.5 mills to 0.892 mills.

That reduction would not occur immediately. If approved, PTRLOST collections are scheduled to begin Jan. 1, 2027, with the first full year of collections applied during the 2028 property-tax millage-setting process. The county says 2028 would therefore be the first property-tax year in which taxpayers would receive the full projected millage reduction.

The county’s current model estimates that Mt. Airy would receive approximately $203,371 annually in PTRLOST revenue, representing 1.92% of the projected revenue distributed among the county and participating municipalities. The county cautions that the figures are projections and actual distributions will depend on collections and updated tax-digest values.

The council’s Monday agenda also includes public comments and department reports before the millage-rate discussion. The meeting is scheduled to conclude with an executive session to discuss personnel matters.