Cherokee budget hearings are July 18, Aug. 1

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners will hold budget hearings at 6 p.m. July 18 and at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Aug. 1 at the Cherokee County Administration Building, 1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton.

The board is expected to approve the 2023 millage rate at the 6 p.m. Aug. 1 meeting.

A partial rollback of the millage rate will be advertised at 4.985 mills as the 2023 county maintenance and operations millage rate compared to the current M&O rate of 4.995 mills.

The advertised rate represents a 10.14% increase over the rollback rate of 4.526 mills.

Only Chairman Harry Johnston was opposed to the 4.985 millage rate, saying he would like to have seen one of the lower rate options advertised instead.

Those rates would have been 4.954, requiring $6.9 million of reserves; 4.922, requiring $7.4 million of reserves or 4.891, requiring $7.9 million of reserves.