NEWTON COUNTY— An increased millage rate will go into effect following approval from the Newton County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night.

The new rate of 8.567 mills is 0.3 mills more than the previous year’s rate of 8.242 mills. According to a presentation from Finance Director Brittany White, this rate will require an increase to property taxes by 10.31%.

“The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $325,000 is approximately $100.93 and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $300,000 is approximately $96.12,” White read.

The commissioners held three public hearings to weigh citizen input on the matter. Many of the comments from the hearings cited the difficulty that senior citizens have in affording tax increases on a fixed income.

“I am living off of my social security and interest on my money market,” said Cynthia Van Vynckt. “I can only get money out of my IRA at the end of the year, and that is not enough to pay my bills…Please do not make the seniors have to pay that much. I think that there are many others as old as I am [who] will have a very hard time to keep their property because we can not pay the property tax at a 10.2% uptick.”

“I’m very much against [the increase],” said another man, whose name was intelligible. “And I’m speaking for the seniors because I’m on my way to be a senior…their money is fixed.”

Though citizens once again voiced dissatisfaction with the increase during the public hearing, the board opted to move forward with the new rate. District 4 Commissioner J.C. Henderson was the only board member to vote in opposition to the new rate.

During the board’s regular meeting that followed the public hearing, Henderson pointed to senior struggles as a major contributor to his decision to oppose the rate increase.

“If I could have had just two other commissioners who may have felt the same way that I felt about taxes and our seniors, then we wouldn’t be having that eight-point-something percent of millage increase,” Henderson said.

Other commissioners voiced empathy for the seniors calling for tax breaks.

District 2 Commissioner Demond Mason took a moment to point out how much lower the rate is now compared to years prior, and took a moment to emphasize that the board cares for its seniors.

Similarly, District 5 Commissioner LeAnne Long said she wants to do something for the seniors of Newton County and has been racking her brain for a solution.

“I’m trying to figure out every day what we can do for seniors,” Long said. “I’m 60 years old. I’m a senior. I feel the same burden that you guys feel.”

Long also pointed out that a repeat concern cited by citizens regarding the school system tax is under the jurisdiction of the Newton County Board of Education (BOE). She petitioned citizens to attend their meetings to voice their concerns.

The BOE’s first millage rate public hearing was also on Tuesday night and no citizens spoke.