---
title: HB 1487. Cornelia, City of; remove millage rate cap
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1487
cite_as: HB 1487, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1487
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1487.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1487/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73776
date: 2026-05-11
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1486.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1488.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 887
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1487.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1487
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-11
last_action: Effective Date 2026-05-11
sponsors:
  - Victor Anderson
  - Chris Erwin
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1487/2025
upstream_id: 2128665
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - property taxes
  - City of Cornelia
  - local government charter
  - millage rate
---

# HB 1487. Cornelia, City of; remove millage rate cap

## Text

House Bill 1487 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Anderson of the 10th and Erwin of the 32nd
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend an Act to provide a new charter for the City of Cornelia, approved April 30, 2013
(Ga. L. 2013, p. 3841), so as to remove the millage rate cap; to provide for related matters;
to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
An Act to provide a new charter for the City of Cornelia, approved April 30, 2013 (Ga. L.
2013, p. 3841), is amended by revising Section 5.11 as follows:
"SECTION 5.11.
Millage.
(a) 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.
(b) The city commission by ordinance may provide for the payment of these taxes by
installments or in one lump sum, as well as authorize the voluntary payment of taxes prior
to the time when due."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.

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.

### Plain-language summary

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 it 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.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Victor Anderson, Chris Erwin
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73776

> The history, votes, and amendments (887 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1487.md?full=1