Whitfield County officials cite $10.4 million gap as health-care costs and lower collections prompt millage discussion

Chair Javin Jensen told residents at a special-called Whitfield County Board of Commissioners hearing that the county faces a sizable budget gap driven primarily by rising employee health-care costs and declines in property-tax collections.

"We're talking about 266%. That's $8,000,000 over that same time," Jensen said while detailing health-insurance cost increases and the county's fiscal history. He added that health-care costs are expected to rise about $2,500,000 this year and next, and combined with approximately $2,400,000 in lower revenues this yields a roughly $10,400,000 impact to county finances.

Jensen reviewed a decade of millage changes, noting “five rollbacks in a row since 2020” and a reduction of about 48% since 2016 from the peak near 9.5 mills to the current rate around 4.6 mills. He cautioned that figures for collections factor in new construction and that assessed-value changes have contributed to a roughly 10.5% decline in collections rolling into the most recent tax year.

The chair presented options for closing the gap, including millage scenarios from roughly 5.6 mills up to the advertised legal maximum of 8.0 mills and non-property-tax alternatives such as a 1% local-option sales tax. Jensen explained a state credit that would reduce the net impact for homeowners and provided a sample calculation: on a $275,000 home the net monthly impact could be between $5 and $13 depending on choices made.

No formal action on millage was taken at the noon session; Jensen reminded the public that the board will take action after hearing evening public comment at a 6 p.m. meeting.