CAIRO — There will be no property tax increase in Grady County after commissioners voted Tuesday to keep the county’s millage rate unchanged from last year.

Commissioners voted unanimously to tentatively set the millage rate at 17.39 mills – the same mark agreed upon last year and enough to fund the tentative $16 million budget for fiscal year 2021.

“We do not see a need in any tax increase by any means,” said County Administrator Buddy Johnson.

No public hearings will be held to discuss the millage rate since there will be no tax increase, the county administrator added.

Johnson and county finance director Holly Murkerson spent three days last week reviewing departmental budgets before arriving at the $16 million figure – about $683,000 smaller than the FY2020 budget, though tax revenues are expected to increase by about $291,000.

Though the county will have to dip into its fund balance, Murkerson noted that that number has been cut by almost 45 percent from last year, and the county is projected to be able to replenish those reserves in 2021.

Moving forward into 2021, Johnson warned the commissioners that next year’s budget will likely be tight.

Murkerson said she and Johnson felt comfortable with the tentative budget, which will be presented to the commissioners at a workshop Thursday.

“Again, this is tentative, but we feel good,” she said. “We might have to move some things departmentally for the final budget, but we feel good about this budget.”