Hinesville City Council members agreed to trim back the city’s millage rate and adopted its fiscal year 2026 budget.
But the city isn’t sure that the millage cut will mean a decrease in property taxes.
Council members approved lowering the millage rate to 9.99 mills, trimming it by .11 mills. Depending on the inflationary growth in the digest, however, that could mean the city may be taking in more money property taxes than before.
The city projected a 4% growth in the digest and the recently completed digest came back with 8% growth.
City chief financial officer Kim Ryon said the city has cut the millage in nine of the last 11 years. The last time the millage was less than 10 was in 1975.
“It is the lowest rate the city has had in my lifetime,” Mayor Karl Riles said.
The city’s general fund budget is $32.2 million for the coming fiscal year, which starts November 1. The overall budget, including its enterprise funds, is close to $59.4 million.
For FY26, the city is projecting to take in about $10.8 million in property tax revenue, its single-biggest source. For a city taxpayer, only about 22% of the total property taxes paid come to the city, Ryon pointed out.
Its proceeds from LOST, the local option sales tax, are projected to be almost $7.3 million. The city is projecting an increase of 6% for the coming fiscal year, though LOST proceeds slowed in 2025, with the anticipation of more retail stores opening.
LOST can be used for day-to-day municipal operations, making it different from special purpose local option sales taxes, such as SPLOSTs and TSPLOSTs. Those sales taxes must go toward such things as designated capital projects.
The city also is looking to add a youth services coordinator in the community development department and a case manager in the homeless prevention program. It also wants to add three positions in the police department, effective November 1, and two additional fire fighters, to begin August 1, 2026. Also on tap is a grounds maintenance worker in the parks and grounds department to start May 1, 2026.
The budget also includes a cost of living adjustment of 2.3%, the same as the consumer price index in July for the South region.
The water and sewer fund is balanced but there will be an increase in reconnection fees, going from $35 to $50. The budget also includes a new fee to underground infrastructure inspections. Previously, the city was not charging for those, but Ryon pointed out the city has had to go out to sites several times to reinspect lines. The new fee has a flat rate for the first inspection and then charges per foot of line for return inspections.
Also in the FY26 budget is an increase in the base income to qualify for the senior citizen rate, which is going up from $25,875 a year in income to $28,260. That amount is equal to 90% of the Housing and Urban Development department’s two-person family very low income limit.
Another increase on the books will affect residents’ garbage pickup. The new rates will go into effect January 1. The city has not raised its garbage pickup rates since November 1, 2024. For single-family homes with one polycart, the rate is going up $1.95 a month to $28.05. For a single-family residence with two polycarts, the rate is going up by $2.85 a month to $45.70. Commercial customers will expect a similar increase.