COVINGTON, Ga. – In the midst of July 4 discussions, the city of Covington approved the 2024 millage rate at the Aug. 5 meeting.

Council members voted to set the millage rate at 5.756 mills, the same millage rate as 2023. The vote comes after three public hearings were held throughout July and August.

This millage rate will require an increase in property taxes by 4.18 percent for those in the city. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $225,000 is approximately $20.79.

The motion to approve the millage rate was made by mayor pro-tem Susie Keck and seconded by council member Kim Johnson. It passed 4-2, with council members Charika Davis and Anthony Henderson voting in opposition.

During council comments, Johnson sought to bring clarity on the tax increase.

“I know we didn’t increase it [millage rate], but taxes went up. I don’t know that people know how hard we worked on that, that we came together after hours and really fought for the citizens of Covington to not raise the millage rate.”

Johnson also noted that the council had “nothing to do” with increased property values.

Elsewhere, the council also unanimously approved the final plat for the Neely Farms subdivision. The subdivision is expected to be a mixed-use development with several single-family residential homes. 

Council members also adopted the Rural Zone/downtown master plan. This 82-page master plan contains information that will provide guidelines for the future of downtown Covington.

The work done by those involved caught the attention of mayor Fleeta Baggett.

“Once I started reading it [the master plan], I just kept reading it, because it was very good,” Baggett said. “And over the four-and-a-half years I’ve been involved in this stuff, this is the first thing that I have ever read like this that really kept my attention and I understood and it made sense, and it really explained it.”

Several other items also passed during the Aug. 5 meeting, including:

• Minutes for the July 15 meeting
• Several items on the consent agenda
• A first reading of an ordinance amendment regarding automatic sprinkler systems
• A first reading of an ordinance amendment regarding sanitation
• The awardance of the lowest bidder for the Alcovy Circle Water Main replacement Project amounting to $1,067,425.42 to SH Creel Contracting LLC.
• An update to the city golf cart routes
• The entering into a class action lawsuit against BASF corporation