Jones County property owners will soon receive the 2025 tax assessments for their properties, and most will see an increase in their property values.
It is important to note that an increase in a property’s value does not necessarily mean an increase in property taxes. That is because a property’s value is only one part of the process to calculate property taxes.
A property’s value multiplied by the county’s tax rate equals the amount of taxes owed. Jones County Commissioners have committed to lowering the tax rate as they did last year when there was a significant increase in the county’s tax digest.
What all that means is the receipt of a higher property value in the annual tax assessment notice is no reason to panic. If there is a belief that there is an error in the calculation, property owners have until July 14 to file an appeal at the tax assessors’ office.
Tax appraisers have also made in known that questions are welcome via phone calls or in person.
The reason for the increases is simple: most properties in the county have not been revalued for several years. When that problem came to light due to the county’s failure of the 2022 and 2023 Sales Ratio Audits by the Georgia Department of Revenue, changes were made.
Jones County’s new Board of Tax Assessors and department employees have been hard at work to put the department in order and to get the tax digest ready for the 2025 assessments. In addition to that, a company has been hired to perform a countywide revaluation of properties that has a completion date of June 1, 2026.
The purpose of the revaluation is to complete the job started by the appraisers to ensure Jones County property values are fair and equitable. All that is not a quick or easy process for property owners, board members, tax appraisers or elected officials, but it is underway.
The 2025 assessment notices are a bit different than previous assessments. There is not an estimated tax on the document. What is listed is the property’s 2024 value, 2025 value and the 2024 tax rates of Jones County and the Board of Education. The amount of taxes owed will not be calculated until the Jones County Commissioners, Jones County Board of Education and Gray City Council members set their tax rates, also called millage rates, usually during budget time in July and August.
Questions to be considered about the new assessment amounts could be if the owner would sell the property for that amount and the insured amount of the property. Third-party real estate vendors could also be a resource for a property’s value.
The Jones County Tax Assessors Office is located in the Government Center at 166 Industrial Boulevard, and the number to call with questions is 478-986-6538.
