Oconee County sets 2026 millage hearings after projected tax increase for incorporated areas
Oconee County has tentatively adopted a 2026 millage rate that would decrease property taxes in unincorporated areas by 0.79% but increase them in incorporated areas by 3.41%, including municipalities such as Watkinsville.
The rate is not final. The Oconee County Board of Commissioners scheduled public hearings before a planned vote at its regular meeting on Aug. 25, 2026. The hearings give taxpayers an opportunity to review the proposal and comment before adoption.
What the proposed rate would change
The county’s notice describes two different projected effects based on whether property is in an incorporated or unincorporated area. Property taxes in unincorporated areas would decrease by 0.79%. Property taxes in incorporated areas would increase by 3.41%.
For Watkinsville residents and other property owners in incorporated areas, the 3.41% figure is the county’s stated change under the tentative millage rate. It should not be read as a guaranteed 3.41% increase in every homeowner’s total tax bill. The final rate remains pending, and the dollar effect on an individual property also depends on its assessed value.
The proposed change concerns Oconee County’s millage process. It should not be attributed entirely to Watkinsville city government.
Hearing dates and location
The public-hearing schedule lists meetings at 6 p.m. on July 28, Aug. 4 and Aug. 25, 2026. The hearings are to be held at the Oconee County Administration Building, 7635 Macon Highway, Watkinsville, GA 30677.
The county’s official meeting information confirms the Aug. 4 Board of Commissioners meeting at that Watkinsville address as part of the tax-rate hearing sequence.
The Aug. 25 hearing is scheduled for the same time, followed by the county’s planned final adoption at the commission’s regular meeting that day. Until that action occurs, the 2026 millage rate remains tentative rather than finally adopted.
What taxpayers should watch next
Taxpayers in incorporated areas, including Watkinsville, can use the scheduled hearings to examine the proposal and provide public comment. Property owners in unincorporated Oconee County should note the separate projected decrease described in the notice.
The next decisive date is Aug. 25. The commissioners’ action then will determine whether the tentative rate becomes final. Individual property owners will still need to consider their assessed values when estimating how the county’s adopted rate could affect their bills.
Sources
- Notice of Property Tax Increase, Oconee County, Georgia
- Oconee County Board of Commissioners Meeting, Oconee County, Georgia
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