City of Rome officials have begun discussions on the 2026 property tax millage rates, reviewing several options that could fully fund the Rome City School System while addressing rising city expenses. The Finance Committee met to review the city’s preliminary tax digest and consider four potential millage rate scenarios. No votes were taken during the meeting, which was intended as an initial discussion ahead of formal action later this summer.
Mayor Jim Bojo opened the meeting, noting that Finance Committee Chairman Wayne Robinson would arrive late because of another meeting. Commissioners Jill Fisher and Bill Collins were absent, with Commissioner Harry Brock filling in for Fisher and Bojo serving in Collins’ place. The committee also approved the minutes from its June 10 meeting.
City Manager Sammy Rich told committee members the city’s preliminary tax digest showed overall property value growth of about 1.4% for 2026, well below the roughly 5% increase officials had anticipated. He cautioned that the figures remain preliminary because the property tax appeal process is still underway.
Rich also reminded the committee that Rome City Schools has requested $32 million in funding for its 2026 budget. He said it will be up to the City Commission to determine how that request is funded when setting the city’s millage rates.
Finance Director Toni Rhinehart presented four possible tax rate scenarios. Keeping the current 2025 millage rates in place would result in only a slight increase in tax collections, while adopting the state rollback rate would reduce the amount of revenue the city receives.
The remaining two proposals would increase the city’s maintenance and operations and capital millage rates while lowering the school system’s millage rate. Rhinehart said the preliminary tax digest indicates the school system’s funding request could still be fully met despite a lower school tax rate.
Officials explained that although the city’s portion of the millage would increase under those scenarios, many property owners could still pay less overall in property taxes because school taxes are calculated on a higher taxable value. They also noted that homeowners with a homestead exemption are expected to receive a state property tax exemption of up to $18,000 on their 2026 tax bill, providing an estimated savings of about $640.
Rich and Rhinehart said the proposed increase in city millage rates is driven by higher operating costs, including employee compensation and healthcare expenses. They said the city has relied on its fund balance to cover those increases in recent years, but that approach is no longer sustainable.
The committee also discussed the city’s Tax Allocation Districts, or TADs. Rhinehart explained that properties within active TADs are excluded from the city’s tax digest because those tax revenues remain within the districts to fund redevelopment projects.
She said TAD2 has been dissolved, allowing remaining revenues to be transferred into the city’s General Fund in 2026. TAD4, which includes the East Bend shopping center, is expected to be paid off years earlier than planned, allowing those properties to return to the city’s tax digest beginning in 2027.
Rich emphasized that the meeting was informational and that no decisions were expected. The City Commission must submit its final millage rates to the Floyd County Tax Commissioner’s Office by early September so tax bills can be mailed by Sept. 15. If the commission adopts rates above the rollback rate, state law requires three public hearings before final approval.
The Finance Committee is scheduled to continue its discussions on July 21 before making a recommendation to the full City Commission.
