Conyers City Council unanimously approved today a property tax hike by 2.37 mils, or more than 20 percent over the rollback rate, to fund the city's $13.35 million fiscal year 2014 budget.

The increase would take the millage rate from 9.9 mills to 13.85 mills The rollback rate, or the rate that would bring in the same amount as the previous year, is 11.481 mills.

Previously, the city had projected it would need to increase the rate by 3 mills when premilinary figures showed a potential 15 percent decrease in the tax digest. However, the tax digest decrease was slightly less than initially feared.

This is the second time in nine years the millage rate has increased due to a decrease in property assessments. The property tax rate was 9.9 mills in 2012 and 2011 and 9.41 mills from 2008-2010.

A mil is $1 charged per $1000 of taxable value. According to the city, a home with homestead exemption and a fair market value of $100,000 would see a proposed tax increase of approximately $47.38, and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $250,000 is approximately $236.90.

The vote was a unanimous 5-0 vote. Councilman Dr. John Fountain was not present.

There were no public comments given during the three public hearings that were held July 15 at noon and 6 p.m. and today July 22 at noon.

When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year's new digest that last year's millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.