Taxe$ hard to explain-harder to pay
by MCL staff writer

If you haven't received your 2007 tax bills, from the City of Colquitt, the Miller County Commissioners and the Miller County Board of Education, you can either thank the Lord, or check with the U.S. Postal Service, since they were sent to the taxpayers last week.

This is possibly one of those things that could be, should be, but isn't let alone.

Like electing political offi- cials, the majority really don't care who's in charge until we get something we don't want, or can't live with; then it's too late to gripe and complain. If you want better officials to run your business, now is the time to do something about next year. This year is already upon us.

All of the following information comes from the respective tax offices of the city and county or from the tax books in those respective offices.

The 2006 and 2007 tax levies for the City of Colquitt and Miller County were received to make this report. The figures given can be found in the back of the respective tax books for the city and the county. The taxes are based on the value of real property owned in the city (incorporated area) and the county (unincorporated area). Taxpayers who own property inside the city (incorporated area) receive tax bills from the city and the county on the same property, both real and personal.

The Miller County 2007 tax millage is distributed as follows:

State	.25
County	20.38
School	13.57
Bond	.67
Library	.65
	- - - - - - -
	35.52 mills

If all 2007 ad valorem taxes are collected, The state will receive $37,433.48; the county will receive $3,119,325.32. The local board of education will receive $2,062,261.96, The school bond will receive $103,435.97. The Miller County Library will receive $99,009.40, or a total 2007 bill for ad valorem taxes of $5,421,466.13.

That is a total increase of $623,372.51 over 2006 taxes for county purposes. The largest amount of increase will go for county purposes with an increase of $466,776.58, or 75% increase over 2006 digest.

The City of Colquitt 2007 tax millage is distributed as follows:

The 2007 ad valorem tax millage was set at 8.71 mills. If all ad valorem taxes are collected, the city will receive $338,791.79 based on their mill rate.

The taxes received for ad valorem bills do not include the sales taxes received by the city and county.

There is a copy of the tax digests on all real and personal property levied on, which is open to the public in the county and city tax offices. There are mountains of information on the consolidation sheets in the rear of the tax digests. The city digests shows what is levied on inside the city (incorporated area). The county digest shows what is levied on inside the city (incorporated area) and in the county (unincorporated area).

The total motor vehicle and motor homes tax levy on these properties in the county (unincorporated area) will be 35.52 mills. That same property inside the city (incorporated area) will be 44.23 mills.