Savannah tentatively sets 2026 millage rate for 3% tax increase
Savannah’s Mayor and Aldermen have tentatively adopted a 2026 millage rate that the city says would require a 3.0% increase in property taxes. The proposed rate is not final, and residents will have two opportunities to comment at public hearings scheduled for Aug. 13.
The hearings are set for 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Savannah City Hall, 2 East Bay St. The city notice says residents may attend in person or submit written evidence by email or phone before the rate receives final consideration.
What the proposed rate would change
The tentative rate is 11.749 mills. Without the proposed increase, the city says the maximum rate would be 11.402 mills. The difference is 0.347 mills.
A millage rate is used to calculate the property-tax charge based on assessed property value. In practical terms, the proposed change would increase the city portion of the property-tax obligation for affected property owners if the council gives the rate final approval.
The city estimates that the proposed rate would add approximately $52.05 for a home with a fair-market value of $375,000. For non-homestead property valued at $925,000, the city estimates an increase of approximately $128.39.
Those figures are examples tied to the property values identified in the city’s notice. They are not fixed increases for every Savannah property owner. The amount owed can vary based on a property’s applicable exemptions or assessments.
The city tax is only part of the bill
The proposed 11.749-mill rate concerns Savannah’s city property-tax charge, not necessarily the full bill a property owner will receive. The city notice indicates that property owners may also pay taxes levied by other local taxing authorities, including the county and school district.
That distinction matters when evaluating the proposed increase. The city’s $52.05 and $128.39 examples describe the estimated effect of the city rate for the specified properties; they do not establish the complete property-tax burden for those properties or for other parcels.
Hearings precede final action
The Aug. 13 hearings are the next scheduled step in the rate-setting process. The city has not described the 2026 rate as final, and the approved materials do not provide a date for final adoption.
The Savannah City Council’s July 9, 2026, special-meeting agenda included a public hearing on the 2026 property-tax millage rate. That agenda identified Savannah City Hall at 2 East Bay Street as the meeting location.
The scheduled hearings give residents a chance to respond while the rate remains tentative. After the hearing process, the Mayor and Aldermen must take final action before the proposed rate becomes the city’s completed 2026 millage decision.
Until then, the 11.749-mill figure should be treated as a proposal. The city’s estimates provide examples of the possible change for two specified property values, but they do not mean every homeowner or business-property owner will see the same dollar increase.
Sources
- Notice of Property Tax Increase, City of Savannah
- July 9, 2026 City Council Special Meeting Agenda, City of Savannah
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