LEE, Ga. (WALB) — Lee County taxpayers will receive refunds after officials say a mistake at the tax assessor’s office led the school system and other local governments to miss legally required public hearings tied to property tax increases.

Attorney Chris Cohilas of Watson Spence, who said he has been hired by the Lee County Board of Education to assist with the issue, explained the problem during an interview from the First Alert Center.

What is the rollback rate — and why does it matter?

Cohilas said the rollback rate is the millage-rate threshold used under Georgia law to determine whether a local government is effectively raising property taxes. If a board adopts a rate above the rollback rate, it must hold three public hearings before final approval.

He said the error was not with the mileage rate itself, but with the rollback-rate calculation provided by the tax assessor’s office.

The numbers

Cohilas said the rollback rate for the school system was calculated and reported as 16.88, but it should have been 13.539.

The Lee County school system set its budget using a millage rate of 15.96, which Cohilas said was believed to be below the reported rollback rate at the time.

Why refunds coming

Cohilas said because local leaders relied on incorrect rollback-rate information, they did not have the opportunity to hold the required hearings “on the front end.” He said the Board of Education voted to issue refunds to taxpayers based on the difference between the rate used (15.96) and the correct rollback rate (13.539).

He also pushed back on claims circulating on social media suggesting refunds would be based on a larger difference between 16.88 and 13.539, calling that “not accurate.”

Were there “overpayments”?

Cohilas said he would not characterize the situation as taxpayers being “charged too much” in the usual sense. Instead, he said the school system is issuing refunds because the public-hearing process tied to a tax increase did not occur as required due to the rollback-rate error.

What happens next — and how refunds may be issued

Cohilas said the process will involve the Board of Education, Lee County, the City of Leesburg, and the tax commissioner, and could vary by taxpayer:

• Some refunds may go to mortgage companies that paid taxes through escrow.
• Others may go directly to taxpayers.
• If a property has been sold, officials will work to find the person who paid taxes that year.
• If someone wants the money to support schools, Cohilas said they can donate the refund back.
• If the payer can’t be located, he said the money would go to the Georgia Department of Revenue, not the school system.

Budget impact

Cohilas said refunds will create a shortfall compared to what was budgeted this year and could affect next year’s budgeting decisions, but he said those decisions will ultimately be up to the Board of Education and the superintendent.

Watch the full interview below:

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