Forsyth County sets public hearings on possible tax increase

Forsyth County commissioners are preparing three public hearings before any final millage-rate decision, after county budget materials showed the 2025 tax digest climbing 9.54% and taxes paying 79% of General Fund Maintenance & Operations. For homeowners in Cumming and across the county, the question is whether that growth will ease pressure on the rate or turn into larger property-tax bills.

Georgia law requires the hearings because Forsyth County’s proposed 2026 budget is built on a millage rate above the rollback rate. At least one of the three hearings must begin between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., giving residents a formal chance to weigh in before the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners settles the final number. The county has said the process is part of its regular tax-setting cycle, but this year’s decision lands in the middle of a fast-changing digest and a county budget tied closely to property-tax revenue.

The county’s own figures show why the discussion is so sensitive. Of the 9.54% increase in the tax digest, 3.46% came from new construction in 2025 and 6.08% came from reassessments. Officials have said that, because of that growth, county M&O property taxes levied by the county would rise by a net 5.88% over the rollback millage rate. Forsyth County’s most recently adopted total county millage rate was 7.896 mills, including 4.791 mills for County M&O, 2.805 mills for the County Fire District and 0.300 mills for County Bond.

That rate will matter differently depending on each property’s assessed value and any homestead exemption. A homeowner whose assessment rose sharply could still see a bigger bill even if commissioners hold the rate steady; a cut toward rollback would soften that hit; and a higher rate would add to it. The Forsyth County Board of Assessors has already mailed 2026 annual notices of assessment, which the county says are informational and not bills, and property owners have 45 days from the mailing date to appeal the value.

County officials also say Forsyth’s millage rates remain among the lowest in metro Atlanta, a point likely to shape how they frame any final vote. The hearings now set the stage for that debate, with the county weighing new growth, reassessment pressure and the cost of the services funded by the tax digest.