Dalton City Council cuts property tax rate

Charles Oliver, The Daily Citizen, Dalton, Ga.
·3 min read

Nov. 8—The Dalton City Council trimmed the city's property tax rate Monday.

Council members voted 4-0 to set the tax rate at 2.207 mills, down from 2.208 mills in 2021. That rate is expected to bring in $8.1 million, up from $7.8 million in 2021 due to growth in the tax digest. Mayor David Pennington typically votes only if there is a tie.

The Dalton Board of Education and the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners had previously set their tax rates. Commissioners set the county's 2022 maintenance and operations property tax rate at 7.3 mills, down from 7.312 mills in 2021. The Dalton Board of Education set the school system's 2022 property tax rate at 8.09 mills, down from 8.095 mills in 2021.

The Whitfield County Board of Education voted Monday to hold the school system's property tax rate at 18.756 mills, the 11th year in a row school board members have voted to set it at that rate.

Dalton City Administrator Andrew Parker said the Whitfield County Tax Commissioner's Office had told him that with the City Council and Whitfield County school board voting to set their tax rates that tax bills could be sent out on Nov. 20.

The City Council members also voted 4-0 to approve:

—A one-year contract with the Dalton Convention Center to continue to hold Municipal Court proceedings in the convention center. Court typically meets each Monday. The convention center will receive $639.75 each day court is held. Either side can cancel the contract with 30 days notice.

—A right-of-way encroachment for North Georgia National Bank to install a new sign at its location at 1412 Chattanooga Ave. This will replace a sign for Georgia United Credit Union at the same location.

Pennington asked if the previous sign was in the right-of-way. Parker said it was. He said the city has a large right-of-way on that stretch of Chattanooga Avenue in case officials ever want to widen the road.

"If they want the sign to be outside the right-of-way it would actually be in (the property's) detention pond," he said. "They are just requesting to go back with a similar sign to the one that Georgia United had at that location."

—A $7,390 purchase of software from Comcate Software for the city's Code Compliance office to help officers manage and track code compliance cases.

That office is currently operating without a case management system. In a presentation to the council, Parker said the office handles an average of four new cases a day, not counting "knock and talk" educational contacts. Those new cases can involve multiple followups during the investigation.

The City Council meeting scheduled for Monday, Nov. 21, has been rescheduled to Monday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. in City Hall because of the Thanksgiving holiday. City offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 24, and Friday, Nov. 25.