Hidden County military hearing is now called to order.

The date is September 15, 2026, and the time is 5 30 p.m.

Before we stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, I do want to let everybody know that we're going to have to stop this meeting around 5 55 p.m.

And so I just want to let everybody know for the sake of time.

Please we want to hear your comments.

Please come up, say your comments, but please do it in a timely manner so we can move on to set up for the next meeting at 6 o'clock.

So at this time, will you please stand for the pledge of allegiance to our flag?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Amen.

Thank you.

All right.

Board members at this time I need a motion to adopt the agenda.

I make the motion to adopt the agenda.

Second.

All right, is there any discussion at this time?

Are you ready for the vote?

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Any abstentions?

The ayes have it, and the motion carries.

Next we will move to item five agenda items.

The millage rate presentation done by presented by CFO Terry Jackson.

Good evening, Board of Commissioners.

This is the second uh 2026 military hearing for the day.

Um for our uh audience members and our view uh viewing members online.

Uh copies of this presentation can be found uh in the back on the back desk of this chamber uh as well as materials uh on the county's website for future reference.

Thank you.

So the the notice of property tax increase for MO posted in the Clayton County newspaper on September 2nd, 2026.

Uh this notice addresses the the final MO rate uh rollback rate, uh which is 14.141.

Excuse me, Mr.

Jackson.

Will you please let the group know the citizens know what M and M and O is?

Yes, absolutely.

So MO stands for maintenance and operations.

Uh and so you know that general term covers uh the general operations for the county government.

And so uh I'll start again uh looking at the the final MO rollback rate.

Uh it's 14.141.

Uh the 2026 MO Millage rate is 15.052, and that represents uh a percentage tax increase of 6.44 percent.

Now this uh rollback rate and the millage rate are calculated using the uh millage rate uh uh form uh PT 32.1, uh which also calculates the percentage increase in property taxes.

So also posted in the Clayton County uh newspaper uh is the notice of tax increase for the fire fund.

Uh the final uh fire rollback rate is 4.068.

The 2026 fire millage rate is 4.50.

Uh the tax and the tax the percentage tax increase is 10.62 percent.

Uh and this information is also uh calculated on the PT 32.1.

So here we have uh examples of tax bills uh using the homestead exemption.

Um I do realize that there are many exemptions, including the senior exemptions and the H B 870 exemption.

You also have the uh veteran exemptions as well.

However, for this uh presentation, we're only including the exemption for the homestead.

So looking at the example uh of the tax bill for 20 fiscal year 2026 versus fiscal year 2027.

We have a property with a fair market value of 250,000.

Uh the assessment factor is at 40%, the assessed value is at 100,000, minus 10,000 for the uh the homestead exemption.

The assessed value is at 100,000, minus 10,000 for the uh the homestead exemption.

So the taxable uh net value is 90,000.

So going to the bottom uh for fiscal year 2026, the final MO tax is payable is 1,682 and 82 cents versus the final MO uh taxes payable for fiscal year 2027, which is at 1,759.68 cents.

And so that shows us a difference of 76.86 cents for a monthly breakdown of $6.41.

Next, we have an example of uh of a property tax bill uh that does not include the the homestead tax exemption.

So here for fiscal year 2026 and fiscal year 2027, we have a fair market value of 425,000 uh with an assessment factor at 40 percent.

The assessed value is 170,000.

Um obviously no uh homestead exemption here.