Property Taxes Rise 7% in Catoosa County

RINGGOLD, Ga. — After three public hearings and multiple discussions with department heads, the Catoosa County Commission has voted to approve the budget for the upcoming year, which includes a seven percent property tax increase.

According to Board Chairman Larry Black, the need for additional tax revenue is a result of this year’s property values being assessed as equivellant to last year’s.

“We have a tax assessor board that meets with our chief appraisers, and they make that determination each year on what our property values are worth. And, a number of meetings and things took place, and they decided to leave the property values in Catoosa County the same as they were the previous year. We feel like that was a bad decision which lead us to a shortfall of the money that we had to operate and provide our services,” said Black.

Some members of the public were led to believe that property taxes would go up thirty percent, but Chairman Black says that’s not true.

The complete budget includes a sum of over thirty-six million dollars, and new tax revenue will be used to fund services pertaining to public safety, essential government, and community services.

One example of where this money will be going is toward the safety of Catoosa County Students. In light of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Department heads have requested more funding for SRO’s, and this raise in property taxes will help make that happen.

“Sheriff Sisk came and said, because of the recent tragic events that happened in Texas, he felt like that he was in a need to properly cover and secure our elementary schools and our students, to safeguard those elementary schools, that he needed eleven more school resource officers to properly secure every one of our elementary schools in Catoosa County. We felt like that was a valid request, and to provide that service it was going to lead to a substantial amount of money,” said Black.

Black said that last thing the county wants to do is raise taxes, but the budget reflects their best effort to minimize the impact of challenges such as inflation and a competitive labor market.

In Catoosa County, Chris Guin, News 12.