Springfield property owners face an estimated 8.6 percent increase in the city portion of their tax bill this December, which will raise taxes on a $150,000 home by about $28.56.
The city will hold three public hearings on the proposed property tax increase at Springfield City Hall, 130 South Laurel St.t:
- 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5
- 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5
- 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12
The city announced it will not roll back its millage rate this fall, meaning the current rate of 6 mills will remain in place. The decision reflects rising costs and increased demand for city services fueled by population growth and annexations.
“We have so many new people coming into the city, and everybody demands services,” Springfield Mayor Barton Alderman said. “The cost of providing those services keeps going up.”
Since the 2020 Census, Springfield has annexed about 900 acres, including undeveloped residential land and existing industrial and commercial properties, according to city clerk Jennifer Smith. This growth has added to the city’s service demands.
Much of the city’s $3.2 million operating budget for 2025 relies on taxes — more than $2.6 million in projected revenue comes from local property and sales taxes. Property taxes alone are expected to bring in about $884,000, while local option sales taxes account for nearly $853,000.
Police protection is the city’s largest expense, with a $1.16 million budget for its 11-officer department this year, covering salaries, patrol cars, uniforms and weapons. The streets department is the second-largest expense at nearly $635,000.
“People want better roads,” Alderman said. While some funding comes from the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST), it does not cover all the city’s needs.
For example, Springfield plans improvements on North Laurel Street with help from a state grant that requires the city to provide matching funds.
Even routine expenses such as grass mowing carry a price tag; the city’s 2025 mowing contract totals $8,736. “People don’t want the city to look like a trash heap,” Alderman said.
Why the increase?
Although some residents have claimed the city is raising its millage rate, Alderman said the current 6-mill rate has been in place since 2023 when it was lowered from 7 mills.
A millage rate is the amount of tax per $1,000 of assessed property value. Springfield’s rate of 6 mills means property owners pay $6 in city taxes for every $1,000 of their home’s assessed value, which is set at 40% of the market value.
The advertised tax increase is due to growth in the tax digest from new construction and inflation-driven property assessment increases.
Because the 6-mill rate applied to a higher tax digest will generate more revenue than last year, state law requires the city to either adopt a rollback rate to keep revenue flat or advertise the increase.
Had Springfield adopted the rollback rate of 5.24 mills, it would have lost approximately $169,000 in revenue, based on a five-year levy history.
For comparison, Springfield’s 6-mill rate is lower than Pembroke’s 10 mills but higher than Pooler’s 4.197 mills. Rincon does not levy a millage rate.
Rapidly growing Pooler recently rejected its rollback rate, resulting in a 13.52% property tax increase — about $30 more annually on a $150,000 home.
