Water Damage Restoration in Columbus, GA

The Columbus Consolidated Government conducted three public hearings this month discussing how the millage rate for property taxpayers remains unchanged, despite the city’s potential to implement a lower rate this year.

Last month, CCG announced in a news release that it would conduct the hearings to discuss its intention to “increase the 2025 property taxes”. Despitethat required phrase in the announcement, this move is not an increase in the millage rate, finance director Angelica Alexander explained in the June 3 public hearing.

When the total sum of revenue from taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires the tax commissioner to calculate a “rollback millage rate”. This rollback, or lower, millage rate is meant to produce the same amount of revenue for the current year as it did for the previous year.

If a city chooses not to use the rollback millage rate and keeps the rate the same as the previous year, the state considers this to be an “increase” and requires municipalities to hold public hearings.

According to CCG’s announcement, Urban Services Districts 1, 5, 6, and 7 had a 3% increase over the rollback millage rate, and Urban Services District 2 had a 2% increase over the rollback millage rate.

“The millage for the urban services districts do remain unchanged (from last year),” Alexander said.

Urban Services Districts are not the same as Columbus Council districts. These districts consist of areas where the city has provided higher levels of services and do not coincide with any city councilors.

Districts 5, 6 and 7 are the Business Improvement District in downtown Columbus and are part of District 1, CCG director of communications Teasha Hollis told the Ledger-Enquirer.

The total millage Alexander provided for the Urban Service Districts during the June 3 meeting are as follows:

Property taxpayers may see two millage rates when viewing their notice of assessments. One rate will be for the city and the other is for the school district. While the rates will remain unchanged, the Muscogee County School Board determines its rate.

One other important factor property owners should consider when reviewing their notices of assessment is the homestead freeze.

If a Columbus resident has a frozen homestead, this means the valuation of their property will not change with the market. For these individuals, if the school board keeps their millage rate the same, then their property taxes should remain the same year-over-year.

However, if someone with a homestead freeze has made an upgrade to their property, they may see a change.

Upgrades that would cause this difference in valuation don’t include cosmetic changes like redecorating a kitchen, CCG chief appraiser Suzanne Widenhouse said during the June 3 meeting.

“If you add a pool, for example, you may see an increase to your frozen value for the value of that pool,” Widenhouse said.

It’s also important to note that there are several types of homestead exemptions that reduce the burden for some property taxpayers, including the elderly, disabled veterans and un-remarried surviving spouses of armed forces members, firefighters or peace officers.

Tax assessors are required by law to reassess properties every one to three years, Widenhouse said.

The ideal scenario would be to reassess properties annually because this would result in the most accurate assessments, she said.

“But, in all honesty, that is a pipe dream,” Widenhouse said. “We have 73,000 parcels in this county, and the manpower hours that would be required to hit every single property in a 12-month time period is unrealistic for the benefit of the county.”

Instead, Widenhouse’s office aims to reassess a third of properties each year. This means by the end of the three-year period, every property has been reassessed.

While assessors use a detailed methodology to assess homes, Widenhouse said in a June 10 meeting, they can get it wrong. Sometimes they don’t have complete or accurate information, she said, but this is why there is an appeals process in place.

“Nobody has ever said that we are perfect,” she said. “And we are more than happy to look at any property that somebody appeals or that somebody calls us about.”

Appeals can be filed in person or on the tax assessor’s website.

The tax assessment appeal period ends July 3 at 5 p.m., Widenhouse said.

When Columbus Council voted last week to fire then-city manager Isaiah Hugley, Councilor Charmaine Crabb (District 5) indicated that he would continue to be paid his salary and benefits through the end of 2025.

The payments will continue because of Hugley’s employment contract with the city, Crabb said during the May 27 council meeting.

The city will pay Hugley $137,756.58 — $127,967.10 for his salary and $9,789.48 for benefits — between May 28 and Dec. 31, according to data provided to the Ledger-Enquirer by the city attorney’s office.

Hugley being paid through the year because of his employment contract is important for people to note, Scott Grubman, attorney for Hugley, told the Ledger-Enquirer.

“To the extent that anyone thinks that the city council is doing him a favor, being nice or something like that by offering him this, they are not,” Grubman said. “They are legally required to do so.”

City Attorney Clifton Fay and Human Resources Director Reather Hollowell did not respond before publication to the Ledger-Enquirer’s questions about Hugley’s employment contract.

“Council does not comment on personnel matters and, particularly now that Mr. Hugley has publicly threatened legal action against the city, we cannot comment,” Crabb said in a text message.

Grubman sent a letter to the city attorney and others demanding Hugley be reinstated by June 6 or he would proceed with filing a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

City operations will continue with deputy city managers Pam Hodge and Lisa Goodwin working with Mayor Skip Henderson, who will be playing a larger day-to-day role, as the city searches for Hugley’s replacement.

Columbus, GA , June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Columbus Property Solutions™, which has been transforming the home-selling experience across the Peach State since 2019, is excited to announce its new service area in Columbus, Georgia.

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Columbus Property Solutions

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About Columbus Property Solutions

Columbus Property Solutions™ offers a faster, simpler, and more reliable alternative to traditional home sales for homeowners in Columbus, Georgia, and surrounding areas. Specializing in all-cash offers and hassle-free closings, the company helps sellers avoid costly repairs, agent commissions, and long wait times. With a focus on transparency, speed, and convenience, Columbus Property Solutions empowers homeowners to sell on their terms and move forward with confidence.

Media Contact

Columbus Property Solutions

2357 Warm Springs Rd Ste #205, Columbus, GA 31904

(706) 685-6466

Columbus Property Solutions 2357 Warm Springs Rd Ste #205, Columbus, GA 31904

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Columbus 2025 announced Thursday a new organization focused on economic development in the greater Muscogee County region.

Choose Columbus is an organization promising to bring “fresh structure and renewed focus to job creation, capital investment, business recruitment and retention, as well as overall region prosperity,” according to the news release. Choose Columbus is a standalone organization, not housed in the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce or Columbus 2025.

“Choose Columbus is designed to specifically focus on attracting, growing and retaining businesses in our region, and will be supported by the Economic Development Committee of the chamber as well as the city of Columbus and the development authority as their representative on all things,” Pace Halter, chairman of Columbus 2025, said during the news conference.

Choose Columbus joins other local economic development organizations, such as the Development Authority, Columbus 2025, startUP Columbus, and the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce. Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson described this new venture as an “opportunity” for realignment.

“It’s a realignment of some organizations in this community as the acquisition of some really talented individuals that are going to be able to operate within this organization,” Henderson said. “I think you’re going to see a lot more opportunities for Columbus to be in the mix for some of these businesses.”

Missy Kendrick is the president and CEO of Choose Columbus. Before this role, Kendrick was president of the Rome-Floyd County Development Authority and is credited with bringing over 1,700 jobs and $3 billion in capital investment to Georgia communities, according to Choose Columbus’ news release.

Kendrick told the Ledger-Enquirer this role became available at a time she was not looking for a career move. But the momentum of opportunity in Columbus convinced her to jump in.

“I was not looking for a job when I came to Columbus,” Kendrick said. “I was very happy in Rome, doing a great job. But, upon talking to the leadership here, hearing the passion and seeing the opportunity and the momentum that we have right now, it’s hard not to say I want to be a part of that.”

Collaboration is key in the first six months of Kendrick’s tenure, she said. With the amount of economic development organizations, Kendrick emphasized the need for these organizations to streamline.

“The more people that you get together that are on the same page and have the same message or the same shared vision, the stronger that voice becomes,” Kendrick said. “The best way to move forward is collaboration.”

Kendrick said Choose Columbus will spearhead the mission of attracting new businesses to Columbus, while the Chamber of Commerce provides support for retention efforts. Collaboration efforts for other economic development initiatives, and their relationship with Choose Columbus, still are developing.

“You can’t have one without the other,” Kendrick said.

Kendrick also set ambitions for new industries to come to Columbus. Targeted industries include aerospace, robotics and defense. Kendrick said these industries match statewide economic growth.

Kendrick said she hopes to be an approachable leader of Choose Columbus. She emphasized the importance of open and frequent communication with community leaders and other economic organizations forlong-term success.

“The most important thing is that I’m reachable, and I want to engage with organizations,” Kendrick said. “I want to engage with people. I want your ideas.”