TRENTON, Ga. – Amid confusion about whether the Dade County Commission could legally hold a public meeting about a tax hike Thursday evening, almost nobody actually showed up.
When they passed the budget last month, the commissioners decided to take in more money from property taxes this year. The local government is not actually changing the tax rate. But with property values going up, some homeowners will be charged more money, giving the county an additional $380,000.
By law, the commissioners have to hold three public meetings on the issue. They planned to hold two Thursday, then another one July 26 at 5 p.m. in the county administrative office. State law also requires them to advertise the meetings in the local legal organ, the Dade County Sentinel. Also, the ads need to be at least 30 square inches.
Problem? One of three ads published in the July 11 paper was not big enough. The Georgia Department of Revenue gave the county a pass for the mishap, Dade County Clerk Don Townsend said. But in the paper published this Wednesday, another ad was only 8 square inches.
During the county’s first tax hike meeting at noon Thursday, Townsend and County Executive Ted Rumley announced they weren’t sure if the meeting was legal. Same would go for the second meeting Thursday, held at 6 p.m. If that were the case, they would need to re-advertise in the Sentinel and start the whole process over. That could take weeks.