By Jana Cone/reporter
TIFTON
June 28, 2008 08:47 pm
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Tift County has continued a five-year trend of minimal growth, according to the 2008 tax digest. The new tax digest, which must be approved in Atlanta by Aug. 1, shows 1.249 percent growth over last year in the value of property that can be taxed.
“In a $9.8 billion digest, this amount (a $12 million increase in the value of taxable property) is negligible,” said Gene Goode, tax commissioner. “But that’s the way it has been for years.”
Goode said, “The last five years it’s been about the same; we’re not growing that much.”
Goode calls the growth rate “flat” and said he had told the city, county and school board officials they could expect the growth rate to be flat for 2008.
Goode estimates that 17,567 people will receive property tax bills this year and approximately $20,894,412 will be collected by his office from the 2008 digest — about the same as last year if the millage rate stays the same.
The slow-growth trend isn’t reflected in all surrounding counties.
• In Lowndes County, chief appraiser Jo Ann Spicer said their county will have a substantial increase in the growth of its 2008 tax digest. “Our county is growing so quickly,” she said. “We’re not seeing the slow-down that other counties are experiencing.” Spicer said that Lowndes County will add over 1,000 new tax parcels this year alone.
• In Colquitt County, chief appraiser Jerry Rogers said although Colquitt County had slowed its growth since last year, it is still experiencing solid growth as indicated by the tax digest. “We had a boom last year,” Rogers said. “Our tax digest went up about 6 to 7 percent.” Rogers said their 2008 digest indicates a 3 to 4 percent increase. “We’ve been at about 3 percent for about 16 years,” Rogers said.
• In Crisp County, chief appraiser Tim Quick said their 2008 tax digest grew even more than he expected. “And it’s all new growth, not from a re-evaluation,” Quick said. Although he does not have the amount of growth in a percentage figure yet, Quick said, “We had about $53 million in fair market value growth which added $21 million to the tax digest.” Quick said, “I know the economy is down, but it is not reflected in what is happening in Crisp County.”
• In Thomas County, chief appraiser Jimmy Kight said they were in the midst of a re-appraisal and he did not yet have the final tax digest numbers but he anticipates that the 2008 tax digest will show solid growth in Thomas County.
• In Berrien County, chief appraiser Greg Nimmo said their 2008 tax digest would indicate solid growth. “We have gone up $21 million (in the value of taxable property),” he said. He said the increase was due to “a lot more residential property.” Nimmo said their commercial and industrial property had stayed about the same.
• In Cook County, chief appraiser Larry Arnold said they are about two months behind due to switching computer systems, but he anticipates the 2008 tax digest will show 1 to 2 percent growth for Cook County.
• In Worth County, chief appraiser Lou Simms said he anticipated that their tax digest would remain much the same as last year. “We’re a rural county,” he said. “We have been pushing southwest Georgia as a retirement area — we have an abundance of land — and the last several years we have seen quite a few coming in from Florida.”
• In Dougherty County, Denver Hooten, tax director, said they will have a .09 percent growth his year, which, she said, is about the same as last year. “We had some growth,” Hooten said, “but we also had a reduction from tax appeals.” Hooten said Dougherty County’s growth has been “static” for several years. Hooten said they had been experiencing a population loss to Lee County. “Everyone is moving north, over the county line into Lee County,” she said.
Hooten, who once lived in Tift County, said she was surprised Tift County had not experienced more growth. “What’s wrong with Tifton?” she asked.
Goode said the growth in Tift County’s tax digest is reflected in the population figures. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, between 2002 and 2007, Tift County’s population growth rate was 1.2 percent — exactly the same as the growth rate shown in the 2008 tax digest. The highest population growth rate in this region during that period was in Lee County, with 4.1 percent.
Goode said the Affinity Health Group building was sold in 2007 and is not included in the 2008 tax digest. The building was sold to Tift Regional Medical Center which is exempt from property tax. The building, valued at $8.7 million, along with equipment — which Goode estimated to be of similar value — was removed from the digest for this year. He said that Tifton Aluminum is included in the 2008 tax digest but will not be in the digest next year.
To contact reporter Jana Cone, call 382-4321, ext. 208.
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Photos
Jana Cone/The Tifton Gazette