CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. () – The proposed budget for Chatham County includes a two mill increase, which could impact homeowners in the unincorporated areas of the county.

Resident voiced their concerns during a meeting to discuss the proposal.

“…I still respectfully request that the commission examine the foundational costs because that single increase in a year appears to be nearly unacceptable,” a resident remarked.

Since taking over the fire department last year and eliminating the fire fee, commissioner Aaron Whitely said they knew it wouldn’t be cheap move.

“…we have had to make substantial expenditures to update equipment and ensure our personnel are well-equipped to meet the highest standards possible, aiming for a low IFL rating,” he stated. “The fire department’s budget amounts to about $21 million.”

The increase would help cover about $14 million of those dollars.  Whitely said the county will still chip in to cover the expenses, but the tax boost will help ease the burden.

is told more than half of unincorporated Chatham homeowners will actually pay less.

“Eighty-one percent of unincorporated citizens will not see an overall dollar increase as it relates when you combine property taxes and fire fee,” Whitely said. “So, what I mean by that is because there is no longer going to be a fire fee, the cost that many people pay in in their fire fee, if you added that on top of their old tax rate, they would be paying more, and they will be paying with the proposed tax increase.”

However, for others it may mean more money out of pocket. A home with a fair market value of $300,000 could see a nearly $300 increase.

Whitely said less than 20% of homeowners will see a price hike, but added safety outweighs cost.

“So, we want people to know that we are doing everything we can to keep taxes low,” said Whitely. “Nobody, no elected official wants to have to raise taxes, but at the same time, your safety is something that is more important to us than any rhetoric, than any sound bite or any tabloid headline. And so that being the case, if it means that we’ve got to make the tough decision for the safety of our citizens to if we have to make the tough decision to raise the millage rate for the safety of our citizens, then we’re going to have to do that.”

The final public hearing on the millage rate will be on June 27 at 9:30 a.m. The commission is expected to vote that day also.