City of Port Wentworth proposing property tax increase

PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. (WTOC) - The City of Port Wentworth is proposing a property tax increase and they want to hear from the people that live there before it goes to a vote.

Port Wentworth City Manager Steve Davis said, “the City of Port Wentworth is experiencing hyper-growth- not just exceptional growth, not just fast growth. We’ve increased by over 40% over the last three years.”

And with that all those people flocking to the area, the need for government-provided services is growing. But city leaders say meeting that demand comes with a higher price tag.

Davis says the city is adding three new police officer positions, as well as three new public works positions. There are also six new firefighter positions being added and a new fire station, expected to open in 2025, is being built, as well.

It’s something Davis says is long overdue.

“We have two fire stations. Both of them are on the East side of 95. We have a little over 2,000 residents on the East side of 95. We have 13,000 residents on the West side of 95, with no fire station.”

To calculate what taxes property owners will pay, the City uses a millage rate- 1 mil is equal to one dollar of tax per 1,000 dollars of taxable value.

The proposed millage rate in Port Wentworth will increase from 4.16- to 5.216. Davis says this will account for an increase of $84 per household a year.

CAT bus expansion is also a big part of the need for the increase, Davis says.

That number also accounts for the money needed to fund CAT services, which just recently expanded into Port Wentworth.

That’s something Davis hopes to take off the city’s tax bill in the future.

“We need legislation to get that changed. Right now, we’re funding that out of our General Fund. And what we’re looking for is legislation to get put into the CAT service district, so that would be, then we would take this off and CAT would charge the transit tax.”

Davis says overall, inflation is affecting Port Wentworth’s budget the same way it’s affecting everyone. He wants people to know, however, that the tax increase is to fund a better city for everyone.

“These things that we’re working on to improve lives. There are a lot of great things going on, and these things cost money.”

The city will be holding three public hearings about the tax increase at Port Wentworth City Hall.

Those dates are listed below:

• June 10, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.
• June 13, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
• June 20, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.

There will be a vote on the new millage rate on June 20. If it passes, it would go into effect on July 1st.