Gwinnett County government maintains tax rate for 2021

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Tuesday agreed to keep the same tax rate. (Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) AJC FILE PHOTO

Credit: Jenni Girtman

Credit: Jenni Girtman

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Tuesday agreed to keep the same tax rate. (Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) AJC FILE PHOTO

Gwinnett County commissioners on Tuesday agreed to maintain the local government’s property tax rate for 2021, a move that amounts to a property tax increase for some residents with rising values.

The additional money will be used to fund public health, elections and transportation workers, Russell Royal, the deputy director of Gwinnett’s Department of Financial Services, previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Most Gwinnett homeowners have a value offset exemption, according to the county, which holds the property’s assessed value constant even as values rise. They won’t see an increase in the county government portion of their tax bill.

Gwinnett Financial Services Director Buffy Alexzulian said homeowners whose homes are worth $300,000 and who don’t have the value offset exemption or a homestead exemption should see their county property tax bill increase by $11.64.

The county expects new construction and rising values to help bring in more than $257.6 million to the general fund, a 5.1% increase over last year’s collections. The county’s tax digest rose to $37 billion.

The general fund tax rate for the county will be 6.95 mills, while the total tax rate for the county will be 14.71 mills. That includes funding for police, fire and emergency services, development and code enforcement, recreation and economic development funds.

Schools and cities set separate tax rates. Tax bills are scheduled to be mailed in August and will be due in October.

Staff writer Tyler Wilkins contributed to this story.