THOMASVILLE — Thomas County commissioners have approved trimming the county millage rate for the eighth year in a row.

For the incorporated areas of the county, the millage is reducing from 8.827 to 8.633. In the unincorporated portions of the county, the millage rate is down from 6.937 to 6.73.

“I am confident recent actions taken by the Board of Commissions will yield similar results in the future,” commission Chairman Phillip Brown. “Despite the challenges we are facing due to the public health emergency, the County’s financial position is sound.”

The millage rate reduction is to what is known as the rollback rate. The rollback rate is calculated with the increase tax digest assessments so that there is not a property tax increase. 

The ”rollback rate” equals the average decrease across all taxable property. Individual property owners may not see a corresponding change in their taxes depending on how close their particular increase is to the average increase. 

Other factors, according to county officials, enabled commissioners to reduce property tax rates, including:

• Employee health benefit costs have remained constant.

• All county departments are controlling routine expenses on a regular basis.

• Sales tax revenues increased 11.8% in 2020 from 2019, and 2021 sales tax collections are currently running 9.5% ahead of last year.

• Insurance premium tax revenues increased. 

• Privatized ambulance fee collections met increased projections again.

Other county millage rates that were reduced include those for emergency services, from 1.708 to 1.669, and for Fire Districts 1-3. For Fire District 1, the millage rate is being reduced from 3.02 to 2.939; for Fire District 2, the millage rate is being cut from 3.008 to 2.901; and for Fire District 3, the millage rate is going from 2.325 to 2.295.