This story is free to read.

Walker County property values going up; no decision on taxes

Bebe Heiskell plans to run for her fifth term as Walker County commissioner in November, but this time as an independent. Of the Republican Party, which has historically backed her, she said previously, "I haven't had a whole lot of luck with them. They want a more radically conservative candidate than I am." Bebe Heiskell plans to run for her fifth term as Walker County commissioner in November, but this time as an independent. Of the Republican Party, which has historically backed her, she said previously, "I haven't had a whole lot of luck with them. They want a more radically conservative candidate than I am."

By Tyler Jett August 23, 2016 4 min read

Property values in Walker County, Ga., are going up by about $50 million this year.

In a posting on its website, the county’s board of education announced all property within its jurisdiction holds a combined value of about $1.312 billion. Last year, that value sat around $1.259 billion.

The increase comes after property values stayed flat for several years.

The county’s appraisers had not evaluated the worth of the properties in more than a decade, but a state agency forced the local government to re-assess its land because the state believed the property values were inaccurate – some too high, others too low.

What does this change mean for tax bills? It’s too early to say. Essentially, local taxes are determined by a simple equation: the value of your property, multiplied by a tax rate. So if the property values go up, the county could lower its tax rate and get the same amount of revenue.