ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) – Albany business owners are weighing in on a property tax increase proposal that is expected to be approved in the coming weeks.
“We want to keep taxes low, but at the end of the day we all see it on our bills for groceries and other products we buy, at restaurants, in gas. The city is feeling the same pressure,” said District 4 Councilman Chad Warbington.
“Everything else that is rising, we are already feeling, so this is going to be a big blow,” said Ella, who lives in Albany.
“It’s all the little things that keep hitting us, little increases. It’s tough on a small business owner, there are a lot of regulations, a lot of inspections that we have to pay for. I’m hit twice, once with my house and then with my business, so it hits me twice,” said Tom Gieryic, owner of Gieryic Automotive.
In the city of Albany, the average home costs about $200,000. So what does this mean for the average homeowner who has $200,000?
Well, with a 12 percent property tax increase, the average $200,000 home could see an annual increase of at least $90. So broken down into 12 months, that’s about $7 to $8.
Citizens on fixed incomes and retirees would feel this increase the most, but there is a way for them to save some money.
“You know you’re tax exempt where I live,” said one Albany resident.
“You can file a property tax return. If you live in your house and it’s your house, you can file a property tax return and that will reduce your taxes. There’s also a senior citizen and pensioner’s rebate that you can apply for. If you haven’t done that, you can go to the tax office and apply for it,” Warbington said.
WALB spoke with some renters who said they are not as concerned about the property tax increase as residential property owners are. However, landlords can raise prices if they have to pay this property tax, so renters could feel the brunt of this property tax increase. Of course, this is something you should discuss with your landlords in the coming months.
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