Property Tax Relief: City Administrator’s Analysis
In a formal financial analysis released by Calhoun City Administrator Paul Worley, municipal officials are providing clarity on local property tax notices and detailing the numbers behind municipal and school millage rates.
Worley emphasizes that while state law mandates advertising an apparent 67.36% property tax increase, that figure is strictly a statutory comparison against the state’s calculated rollback rate of 1.344 mills. In his breakdown, Worley clarifies that the City of Calhoun is actually cutting its property tax rate by 36%, dropping 1.25 mills down to 2.25 mills—establishing the city’s lowest tax rate since 2017.
Worley explains that adopting the state’s full rollback benchmark would create an immediate operating shortfall. According to the city’s analysis, the adopted budget provides a 5% employee pay raise, absorbs surging employee health insurance premiums, funds police and fire staffing expansions, and protects capital funding for the new Recreation Center and roadway upgrades along Curtis Parkway, Dews Pond Road, and Peters Street.
Worley notes that this tax cut is made possible by the voter-approved 1% Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST), restricted entirely to property tax relief. Just five months of FLOST collections delivered an immediate 1.472-mill reduction, with a full 12 months of collections in 2027 expected to unlock additional relief.
School systems across both jurisdictions are also rolling back their rates:
Calhoun City Schools: The school board adopted a full rollback for the sixth consecutive year, lowering its rate from 13.735 mills to 10.888 mills—a 21% rate reduction. In Worley’s calculation, an assessed $250,000 homestead-exempt home will see combined city and school taxes drop from $1,724 to $1,077, saving roughly $647.
Gordon County Schools: The Gordon County Board of Education adopted a full rollback to 14.527 mills, down from 16.364 mills last year. That represents an 11.23% rate reduction—a cut of 1.837 mills.
Gordon County Government: The Board of Commissioners is advertising a tentative county rate of 7.70 mills, down from 9.042 mills, with the final adoption hearing scheduled for Tuesday, October 6th at noon.
While residential homeowners benefit from assessment caps, commercial property owners continue to face higher tax bills following countywide property revaluations.
Upcoming Live Segment: Liberty Road Development
Later this morning, Bruce Potts and Jackie Palazollo will join the broadcast to examine the city’s controversial annexation and rezoning of county agricultural land on Liberty Road for a 174-home development by Smith Douglas Homes. The discussion will center on lingering neighborhood concerns regarding subdivision build quality, stormwater drainage, and the apparent lack of comprehensive traffic studies prior to council approval.
Gordon County Commission Action
The Gordon County Board of Commissioners finalized several major agenda items, backed by an August financial report showing $108.5 million in total cash and investments, including roughly $33 million in the General Fund.
Ag & Events Center Expansion: Commissioners ratified Katie Reynolds as Marketing and Events Coordinator and approved a $55,350 SPLOST purchase for a Kubota tractor and groundskeeping package from Mason Tractor to maintain arena surfaces and grounds.
Operations & Safety: The Board approved a $32,944 Bobcat forklift for Fleet Maintenance and authorized a three-year, zero-cost standby agreement with Critical Response Strategies for disaster debris monitoring to safeguard FEMA reimbursements.
Zoning Approvals: All land use requests were approved, including a Conditional Use Permit for MTV Farm to construct two poultry houses on Mount Olive Church Road in Fairmount, highway commercial zoning at 822 South Wall Street, and multiple residential-agricultural tract divisions across Ranger, Adairsville, and Cash Road.
Calhoun City & Community Briefs
Police Leadership: Steve Evans Kish takes over as Chief of Police, bringing over 30 years of law enforcement experience and FBI National Academy credentials.
Curtis Parkway Roundabout: Wilson Construction has been awarded the contract for the new roundabout at Curtis Parkway and Dews Pond Road, part of broader corridor improvements running north of $5 million.
Data Center Planning: The city is working with Georgia Tech’s Digital First program on zoning standards ahead of January’s moratorium deadline.
Free Dog Adoptions: Calhoun Animal Control is offering free adoptions through Friday, September 18th, to relieve urgent kennel space.
Shaw Leadership: Flooring giant Shaw Industries named Vance Bell as CEO, continuing alongside his role as Chairman.
Gordon County Jail Bookings
Kala Brooke Helton, 27, of Calhoun, Calhoun Police Department, simple assault under the Family Violence Act.
Economic Pressures & The Middle-Class Ripple
Broader macroeconomic strains continue to weigh heavily on local household budgets and commerce. Following hotter-than-expected CPI and PPI inflation reports, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates by another 25 basis points to manage persistent core inflation.
Fuel Costs: Regular unleaded gasoline remains well above $4.00 across Gordon County, while surging diesel prices add steep overhead for regional agribusiness, poultry producers, and freight haulers.
Consumer Strain: Squeezed by borrowing costs, consumer spending is softening, with up to 25% of Georgians now relying on credit cards for basic groceries.
SNAP Reductions & Middle-Class Ripple: Anticipated federal cutbacks to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits threaten to drain critical cash flow out of the local economy. Research from the USDA’s Economic Research Service shows that every dollar in federal SNAP benefits generates between $1.50 and $1.54 in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during a sluggish economy. When food assistance shrinks, regional grocers and food distributors face an immediate drop in retail velocity. That ripple reaches the working middle class through cutbacks in retail worker shifts, reduced local sales tax revenue, and increased pressure on area food pantries and faith-based relief agencies.