NAHUNTA — Two business owners and two residents met with city officials Monday morning in the first of three Public Hearings for the millage rate increase for the City of Nahunta.
Gary Johns and Robert Wilson were joined by Joey and Kibrie Saunds during the nearly 45minute meeting November 17 inside City Hall. Representing the City government were City Manager Tom Wirth, City Clerk Angie Wirth and Nahunta Police Chief Brad Todd.
With the City of Nahunta government proposing a one mill increase, three public hearings are needed before passage. The second and third meetings were held Tuesday, November 18 at 10 a.m., and 6 p.m..
A called meeting was scheduled for 7 p.m., for the council to decide the proposed millage rate 12.4940 — up from 11.4940 last year.
The City of Nahunta has used the rollback number each of the last three years dropping from 11.75 in 2021 to 11.5560 in 2022, to 11.5490 in 2023, and to 11.494o in 2024.
The net tax increase in dollars is $124,148 (39 percent) after the City of Nahunta lost $137,674 in 2024.
“It seems like governments are just getting hungrier and hungrier for money,” said Johns. “It seems like all governments, federal, state, local governments, needs to learn to live below their means instead of above them.”
Johns referenced the City of Screven’s millage rate of 4.498 and the City of Blackshear’s of 8.664.
“When to Nahunta 30 years ago it was about five mills,” the realtor said. “When it jumped to 10 mills it has never gone back to less than that. It would have been nice to check some of these small towns around us.”
Joey Saunds asked if the city has any plans of what they were going to do with the extra funding for the budget.
“We have a full-time police department with five full-time officers and four part-time,” answered Angie Wirth. “The State of Georgia only allows us to use 40 percent of their revenue income towards the budget. We have our day-to-day operations that has to continue.
“Everything is going up because of CPI (Consumer Price Index). We can’t give everything away for free. We have postage and mailings that go out. We have electric bills. I mean, we run a business, just like everyone else that owns a business.
“We also do some big things here in the city that the residents and children seem to love. We have our End of School Year Bash, and we have the Trunk or Treat.
Johns questioned the amount of officers for a small city with a population of just under 1,100.
“That’s about five percent of the population for the county,” said Johns. “We have a really big police department for such a small city, especially when the sheriff’s office is in the city. I’m just trying to think of any way the city could cut their millage rate down.
“Some of the things that really hurt is double taxation. We pay full taxes for the sheriff’s office and then we pay extra taxes for the police department. We pay full taxes to the county for roads and revenue, and then we pay additional taxes for city roads.
“Taxes are so regressive. People are moving out of the city. I don’t want to pay water, sewer and high millage rates.”
Chief Todd said he could answer questions for his police department.
“We two armed robberies last week,” said the chief. “One officer can’t handle that by himself, he could possibly get killed. Another officer had to call for backup and deploy his taser because he was fighting with a guy that had a warrant for his arrest.
“We did get lucky because there was a shift change at the county and a deputy responded. We’re probably doing as much work as any big agency would would that has 20 officers. The crime rate is rising.”
City Manager Tom Wirth said the city is having a significant growth since the moratorium was lifted.
Johns asked Wirth if the City of Nahunta incorporating a little bit bigger area in the city?
“Especially where y’all provide sewer and water,” Johns said. “Y’all provide services in the industrial park and the apartment complex by school. They don’t pay city taxes and those two areas would make a big difference if they were incorporated.”
Wirth said he has talked with county officials on several different cases through the years with nothing materializing.
Wilson asked if anything could be done to cut costs. He said his proposed tax bill on two pieces of property was almost $2,000.
“If the value goes up, then maybe you could hold cost and have your mill rate go down,” said Wilson. “Most of the people in Brantley County are not high income earners. This is going to be a big whammy for many who are on fixed incomes.”
Johns stated the millage rate is going to be about 50 mills combined adding in the EMS fee of $128.68.
“Blackshear’s millage rate is 8.664 with no EMS fee,” said Johns. “The millage rate shouldn’t be able to go to 20 mills. I mean, 10 mills should be maximum millage rate for people in Nahunta. The budget should have to fit inside that 10 mills.
“What really hurts is the county doesn’t give the city any breaks. Our services are on top of their services. I just don’t see how they can be afforded. It would also be great if the city of Nahunta could have a full-time fire protection.”
