Austell lists 8.250 mills, but property values may raise 2026 bills

Austell’s 2026 property-tax materials list an 8.250-mill city rate, but that figure alone does not determine whether an individual homeowner’s bill will rise.

The City of Austell’s tax-digest notice and its 2026 property-tax press release say the city is proposing to maintain the millage rate at 8.250 mills. The city also says Georgia law requires a “Tax Increase” advertisement because the tax digest increased.

The millage rate is the rate applied to taxable assessed value. The tax digest is the value base used in the calculation. When the digest grows, a city may collect more property-tax revenue even if its stated millage rate is maintained. That does not mean every property increased by the same percentage or that every homeowner will see the same change.

What the tentative proposal said

WSB-TV reported July 1 that Austell’s current millage rate stood at 7.870 mills and that the proposed rate would be 8.250 mills. The report described the proposal as a 4.83% increase when measured against the rollback comparison and gave an example of an approximately $46.63 increase for a home with a fair-market value of $310,479.

That $46.63 figure is an illustration, not a universal estimate. An individual bill also depends on the property’s assessed and taxable value, applicable exemptions, and separate entries for the city, county, school system and other taxing authorities.

The rollback comparison is different from simply comparing this year’s posted rate with last year’s nominal rate. The tax-digest process uses a rollback calculation intended to show the rate that would produce comparable revenue after changes in the digest. That is why Austell can describe its 8.250-mill rate as maintained while still publishing a tax-increase notice.

July hearings and final-reading status

WSB-TV reported that Austell scheduled public hearings for July 6 at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., followed by a final hearing on July 13 at 6 p.m. The city calendar identifies the July 13 event as the “Property Tax Millage Rate 3rd & Final Reading.”

As of July 31, the city’s resident-facing property-tax page lists the current millage rate as 8.25 mills and provides information about homestead and age exemptions. The official meetings hub reviewed for this article lists a July 6 regular council meeting and then an August 3 meeting, but it does not visibly display a July 13 millage resolution, adopted ordinance or approved minutes. The 8.250-mill figure should therefore be treated as the city’s posted rate unless and until the July 13 adoption record is available to confirm final status.

What Austell homeowners should check

• Review the property’s final assessment and taxable value.
• Confirm that homestead, age or other eligible exemptions appear correctly.
• Separate the city line from county, school-system and other tax-authority charges.
• Compare the eventual bill with the prior year rather than relying only on the millage rate.
• Check the city’s meeting records for the July 13 resolution, ordinance or approved minutes.

For Austell homeowners, the practical question is not only whether the city lists 8.250 mills. It is how the adopted rate, the property’s taxable value, exemptions and every applicable taxing authority combine on the eventual bill.

Sources

• City of Austell 2026 Five-Year Tax Digest Notice
• WSB-TV report on Austell's 2026 tax proposal
• City of Austell Official Meetings Records Portal