Fayette County Board of Education Proposed Property Tax Increase Over Rollback  Millage Rate

Fayetteville, Georgia – September 23, 2026  

The Fayette County Board of Education announces its intention to adopt the maintenance and  operations (M&O) millage rate at 19.600 mills. This maintains the millage rate at the same level  as the prior year. In addition, the bond millage rate will remain at 0.000 mill since all bonded debt  has been retired. 

When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage  rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that  last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred. The rollback rate for  2026 is 19.447 mills. The intended millage of 19.600 mills will effectively raise property taxes the  Fayette County Board of Education will levy this year by 0.79% over the rollback millage rate.  

This tentative increase will result in a millage increase of 0.153 mill. The proposed tax increase  for a home with a fair market value of $575,000 is approximately $34.88 and the proposed tax  increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $625,000 is approximately $38.25.  

The fiscal year 2027 budget adopted by the Board of Education requires a millage rate higher than  the rollback millage rate; therefore, Georgia law requires three public hearings be held to allow  the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the proposed increase.  

The school system faced several challenges in developing the fiscal year 2027 budget including  upward pressure on expenditures. Revenue has been adversely affected by slightly lower  enrollment and increased local tax exemptions. Expenditures have increased based on inflation,  salary increases, and drastic increases in health insurance costs. The school system participates in  the State Health Benefits Plan (SHBP) for staff health insurance for which employer contribution  rates have more than doubled since fiscal year 2022. More information on the 2027 budget can be  found on the school system’s finance webpage (https://www.fcboe.org/departments/finance)  including the 2027 Budget Presentation and 2027 Final Budget Adoption.  

The tax digest reflects an increase in personal property values related to equipment at the data  center, which will significantly impact tax revenues for the school district. Additionally, the  November 2026 ballot includes a referendum that, if approved, would create an additional  homestead exemption, providing future property tax reductions for homeowners. Over the next  several months, the board will navigate these changes to evaluate their impact on property taxes,  operating revenue, teacher salaries, and budget reserves.

All concerned citizens are invited to attend a public hearing on this tax increase. The first and  second public hearings will be held at the Fayette County Board of Education building located at  205 LaFayette Avenue West, Fayetteville, GA on October 5, 2026, at 11:00AM and 6:00PM. 

Concerned citizens are also invited to participate in the final public hearing on this tax increase to  be held at the Fayette County Board of Education building located at 205 LaFayette Avenue,  Fayetteville, Georgia on October 19, 2026 at 6:30PM. www.fcboe.org. 

The millage rate adoption is scheduled to occur October 19, 2026, at 7:00PM at the location listed  above.