Effingham County commissioners have approved making no change in the county’s millage rate — and they also approved making no change to the hospital authority’s millage rate.

Commissioners, in a 6-0 vote, opted to keep the county’s levy of mills at 8.558.

“I don’t want to increase the millage,” said Commissioner Vera Jones.

On a tax digest of $1.5 billion, the hospital authority’s millage rate of 1.977 is expected to generate $2.985 million, on a collection rate of 100 percent, according to county finance director Joanna Wright.

County Administrator David Crawley said county officials have discussed amending the county’s agreement with the hospital. As part of the county’s resolution of support for the hospital’s modernization and expansion, it also pledged to provide $3.6 million annually to cover indigent care expenses.

Hospital Authority chairman Rick Rafter said a specific millage request was not done this year, since it is up to the commissioners to determine how to provide the $3.6 million to the hospital.

Crawley said some carryover in property tax receipts for the hospital could be applied to what the county is obligated to provide the hospital. There are also may be additional money, about $293,000, from prospective tax sales next year.

Commissioners questioned how the county would cover that difference between what the county is supposed to provide the hospital and what the property taxes are expected to generate.

“Where does that money come from?” said Commissioner Steve Mason. “We’ve stripped all the contingency. I’m concerned about where the difference is going to come from and make the assumption there isn’t going to be a tax sale.”

Added Commissioner Bob Brantley: “That’s my concern. We would need a budget amendment. As bad as I hate to raise the millage, I’m a little scared.”

To make up any shortfall of what the county is scheduled to pay to the hospital authority, the county may have to dip into its fund balance, Wright said.

“You’re going to have to amend your budget,” said commission Chairman Dusty Zeigler. “You’re going to have pull it out of your rainy day fund. You’re going to have put the stop on some project you’ve got going.”

Zeigler, a vocal opponent of the county’s backing for the hospital’s plans, also suggested the commissioners could eliminate the hospital’s millage rate altogether and absorb that number into the county’s own millage rate.

“All we are obligated to do is that $3.6 million number. We’re not obligated to anything else,” he said. “It’s just a suggestion.”

Doing so, however, would put the county above the 3 percent difference in the dollar amount it advertised for its own millage, leading to another series of public hearings, Crawley pointed out.

“But it is something you may want to consider in the future,” he said.

If a surplus is generated in the future, Crawley said, it could be applied to the millage.

“But that never happens,” said Commissioner Phil Kieffer. “Once we take it from the taxpayers, they don’t ever get it back.”

Jones said the county took in more than $18 million in revenues than it spent over a six-year period.

“If we have overages, we should give them back to the taxpayers,” she said.