Residents checking

their mail this week may have discovered Coweta County's annual present

property tax bills.

County Tax

Commissioner Tommy Ferrell said taxes are due Dec. 15 this year. Most

of the county's residents will see a slight decrease in their taxes this

year because the local governments dropped their tax rates.

The Coweta

County Board of Commissioners lowered its rate for the eighth straight

year. Residents in the incorporated areas of the county will pay 6.20

mills, down from last year's 6.26. Residents in the unincorporated county

will pay 5.21 mills, down from last year's 5.27.

A mill is one

dollar per thousand dollars of a home's assessed value, which is 40 percent

of its market value minus any exemptions.

Some residents

have written letters to local papers criticizing the county for not rolling

back the rate even more.

"I don't

apologize for fiscal conservatism," said Commissioner Robert Wood.

County Administrator

Theron Gay said five years ago the unincorporated rate was 5.75 mills.

The Coweta

County Board of Education lowered its millage rate for maintenance and

operation to 17.87 mills, down from 17.88.

Ferrell also

reminds property owners that tax bills are mailed to the owner of record

as of Jan. 1 of this year.

People who

purchased property after Jan. 1 more than likely became responsible for

payment of 2000 taxes at closing and should contact the previous owners

or the tax commissioner's office for their tax bills.

Tax bills can

either be mailed to the tax commissioner's office at 22 East Broad Str.,

Newnan, or dropped by the office.