HB1487: HB1487 Cornelia, City of; remove millage rate cap

The City of Cornelia's charter, adopted in 2013, previously limited how high the city's property tax millage rate could go. This bill rewrites Section 5.11 of that charter to remove the millage rate cap entirely. Under the revised language, the Cornelia city commission still sets the city property tax rate by ordinance, along with a due date and payment period, and can allow installment payments, lump-sum payments, or early voluntary payments. What changes is that the commission is no longer bound by a maximum rate written into the charter. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws.

• Removes the cap on the millage rate the Cornelia city commission can set for the city property tax.
• Keeps the city commission's authority to set the tax rate, due date, and payment period by ordinance.
• Preserves the commission's power to allow installment payments, lump-sum payments, or early voluntary tax payments.
• Repeals any other laws that conflict with this change.

Property owners within the City of Cornelia, who could see the city set a higher millage rate than the old charter allowed, and the Cornelia city commission, which gains more flexibility in setting the property tax rate.

Without a charter cap, the Cornelia city commission has more room to raise the property tax rate if it decides more revenue is needed, which could mean higher tax bills for property owners in the city depending on future commission decisions.

• Section 1 revises Section 5.11 of the City of Cornelia's 2013 charter, deleting the previous millage rate cap language.
• The revised Section 5.11(a) has the city commission set the millage rate, due date, and payment period by ordinance without a stated maximum rate.
• The revised Section 5.11(b) lets the commission allow installment or lump-sum tax payments and early voluntary payments.
• Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with this Act.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 566
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-25Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-25Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-03-23Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-03-20House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Victor Anderson (R, HD-010)Primary sponsor
• Chris Erwin (R, HD-032)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 20, 2026

   153 yea, 0 nay (14 not voting, 9 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #734

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 25, 2026

   50 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 2 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #799

• property taxes
• Cornelia city government
• local charters
• millage rate