The Jenkins County Commissioners announced this week that the county would seek to increase the property taxes it will levy for the 2009-2010 fiscal year by 1.36 percent. This represents an increase in the millage rate of 0.144 mil.

A decrease of $7.6 million in the tax digest and a decrease of $58,000 in Local Option Sales Tax revenue from the previous year were noted as contributing factors to the need for the tax increase.

The commissioners called attention to the fact that the county's budget was decreased $249,000 from the previous year in an effort to deal with the loss of revenue.

Because the budget tentatively adopted by the commissioners requires a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate, Georgia law requires that three public hearings to allow public input must be held before the budget can be finalized and millage rate adopted. All concerned citizens are invited to attend the public hearings on the tax increase which have been set for 10 a.m. Sept. 10, 7 p.m. Sept. 10 and 7 p.m. Sept. 17. All will take place at the Jenkins County Senior Citizens Center, just past the City of Millen Municipal Building on Walnut Street.

The commissioners last sought a property tax increase of 2.53 percent for fiscal year 2006-2007.