Georgia CommonsHB 1487: Cornelia, City of; remove millage rate cap
Last action May 11, 2026 · Effective Date 2026-05-11
House Bill 1487 removes the cap on the property tax rate the City of Cornelia can set in its city charter, giving the city commission more flexibility to set future tax rates by ordinance.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
The City of Cornelia's charter, adopted in 2013, previously limited how high the city could set its property tax rate, known as the millage rate. This bill rewrites Section 5.11 of that charter to remove any specific limit on the millage rate. Under the revised language, the Cornelia city commission would set the property tax millage rate, a payment due date, and the payment period entirely by its own ordinance, with no cap written into the charter. The commission may also allow taxpayers to pay in installments or in one lump sum, and to pay early if they choose. The bill repeals any conflicting laws and applies specifically to the City of Cornelia's charter.
What the bill does
- Removes the cap on the city property tax millage rate that was previously written into the City of Cornelia's charter.
- Gives the Cornelia city commission authority to set the millage rate, due date, and payment period by ordinance without a charter-imposed ceiling.
- Lets the commission decide by ordinance whether property taxes are paid in installments or a single lump sum.
- Allows property owners to pay their city taxes early, before the due date, if they choose.
- Repeals any prior laws that conflict with this change.
Who it affects
This bill affects residents and property owners within the City of Cornelia, Georgia, whose property tax bills are set by the city commission, as well as the commission itself, which gains more discretion over setting the tax rate.
Why it matters
Without a charter cap, the Cornelia city commission could raise the property tax millage rate higher than previously allowed without needing another change to the city's charter, potentially affecting how much residents and businesses pay in city property taxes over time.
Key provisions
- Section 1 rewrites Section 5.11 of the City of Cornelia's charter, eliminating the previous millage rate cap and letting the city commission set the rate by ordinance.
- Section 1 also keeps the commission's authority to set a due date and payment period, and to allow installment or lump-sum payment.
- Section 2 repeals any existing laws that conflict with this change.
From the bill
“The city commission by ordinance shall establish a millage rate for the city property tax, a due date, and the time period within which these taxes must be paid.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2026-05-11
- Act 566
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
Show full history (13 actions)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Victor Anderson (R, HD-010)
- Chris Erwin (R, HD-032)
Votes
- House voteMarch 20, 2026
153 yea, 0 nay (14 not voting, 9 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 25, 2026
50 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 2 absent)
Topics
- property taxes
- City of Cornelia
- local government charter
- millage rate