Walthourville’s City Council voted 4-1 Monday to pass the city’s first property tax. Mayor Sarah B. Hayes said it’s possible the city could roll back to a lower rate once the city gets out of debt.
The property tax is projected to bring in $1,003,036 in 2027. The city may be able to borrow some funds for fiscal year 2026 based on that anticipated tax revenue for 2027 to pay down existing debt.
The tax or millage rate is equivalent to $12 on every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. For a home valued at $100,000, the homeowner would pay $12 on the first $40,000 of that value (12 x 40) or $480.
Homeowners can apply for a homestead or other exemption at the Liberty County Tax Assessor’s office between Jan. 1 and April 1 to get a tax break for following and subsequent tax years.
Low citizen participation
Only a handful of residents participated in the three public hearings ahead of the millage rate vote. Ronald Hunter told the council, “I know 12 (mils) is a little high.”
Hayes replied that the rate was recommended by the city’s accountant. “Now understand, this is our first year of doing this. And this could — we could roll this back once we get revenue in and get these bills paid down, that can be rolled back to a lower amount.”
Hunter said the “sticker shock” was hard for many residents, “I mean, pretty close to an additional $1,000 for a lot of folks.”
But he expressed sympathy for the city’s situation: “Unfortunately, this team gets to bear the brunt of a lot of misdeeds.”
Hayes answered, “Yes, but we have very high hopes for the future that these things will be taken care of, and with the income coming in we can pay down these bills, and hopefully roll back the millage rate. So don’t give up on us.”
‘How we got here’
Hayes explained why the millage was needed, noting recent expenses and others racked up under previous administrations:
- the city’s three sewer upgrades;
- no water rate increases since 2012;
- the city’s purchase of a garbage truck (sold when the city privatized garbage pickup);
- full-time police and fire departments;
- critical computer upgrades from the 2012 version of Windows 8 (the city still needs two servers);
- an unbalanced budget passed at the end of 2023 for which the council never passed a funding mechanism;
- aerators and water line reloops to improve smell and water pressure cost over $1.1 million;
- and no mandatory annual audits completed since 2021, which cut the city out of state and federal grants that could have helped.
Complicating matters, Walthourville’s previous accountant and auditor resigned, slowing efforts to get that paperwork caught up. The city’s new accounting firm has been working on the budget with city officials, and its new auditing firm has promised to get the old audits caught up by year’s end.
The new millage rate, plus the city’s share of transportation (TSPLOST) funds from the county, its monthly share of existing Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) revenues, and the ability to apply for state and federal grants again once past budget year audits are filed, will help put Walthourville’s finances back on track.
Transit, landfill expenses cut
Walthourville will no longer pay into Liberty Transit, which only served a peak of 7 riders citywide at $20,000 per year. Instead, residents will be able to reserve rides 24 hours in advance with Coastal Regional Transit for $5 per trip.
Hayes also said the city has one payment left for using Liberty County’s solid waste landfill. Atlantic Waste, the city’s contractor, uses its own landfill.
Other politicians present
Liberty County Chairman Donald Lovette and District 1 Commissioner Marion Stevens attended the hearing. Lovette thanked Walthourville residents for passing TSPLOST; Stevens left without comment.
Also present at the last two hearings Monday was Liberty County Republican Party 3rd Vice President Michael Navarro, who is not a Walthourville resident. Navarro commented that “help is on the way” in 2027 in the form of the 1% Floating Local Option Sales Tax county residents passed Nov. 2. FLOST is a fund dedicated to reducing overall property taxes.
After the hearing, the council opened its regular meeting, promptly passing the millage rate 4 to 1. Councilmembers Boston, Bridgette Kelly, Patrick Underwood, and Robert Dodd voted for the 12-mil tax. Mayor Pro Tem Luciria Lovette voted against.
Council to cut city employee healthcare
Although City Hall, Roads and Grounds, Water, and Police departments are all significantly short-staffed, the council rejected Police Chief Chris Reed’s request to fill one opening. The department has 6 officers and is budgeted for 10.
The council also wants to end or at least significantly cut city employee healthcare.
City Clerk Shana Moss, who also serves as human resources manager, told the council that city employees’ healthcare is covered as part of a bundle from the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA). That bundle includes liability and other insurance for the city. Moss said that, if the city wants to terminate its coverage, it would have to give GMA 30 days’ notice.
Councilman Mitchell Boston suggested city employees sign up for Georgia Access, which he called the state’s “version of Obamacare.” Boston, who pushed to privatize first the Solid Waste department and now Public Works, said, “We’re fortunate enough to live in a state that has a surplus, that has a government that is running relatively well. Instead of the city subsidizing it, which we can’t afford, why not let the state subsidize it?”
In fact, Georgia Access is not state-funded. It is a commercial marketplace, run by the state, that connects private insurers with customers. “Obamacare,” the nickname for the federal Affordable Care Act, pays part of those premiums so people seeking health insurance can find more affordable coverage.
But as Congress continues to argue over whether to extend enhanced subsidies for Obamacare, Georgians could see those insurance rates jump 6% to 40% by year’s end. Those higher costs would come out of city employees’ take-home pay — amounting to a pay cut.
Consultant to streamline operations
At a special called meeting Nov. 6, the council hired local consultant DeLisa Clift, CEO of Global Business Development Strategist LLC, for $20,000 to study city employee pay and to suggest ways to bring in more revenue and improve efficiency.
The council tabled a single bid from TriScapes, Inc. for outsourcing Roads and Grounds until that study is complete.
The council also voted to advertise 2026 budget hearings, end opt-in for bulk waste pickup, and authorize Hayes to continue discussions with Allenhurst Mayor James Willis about separate solid waste billing for the two cities.
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