The Dawson County Board of Commissioners last week voted to adopt the county’s 2017 millage rate at 8.138 mills, the same rate the county has held since 2004.

Though the board did not vote to raise the millage rate, property owners may still see a tax increase over last year due to increases in property values.

Leaving the rate unchanged at 8.138 increases the property taxes the county will levy this year by 4.45 percent over the rollback rate. With the calculated rollback rate of 7.791, if the board had decided to adopt the rollback rate, the county would have collected the same amount of property taxes as it did last year.

A millage rate of 8.138 means that the tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $250,000 is $34.70. The tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $200,000 is approximately $27.76.

Chairman Billy Thurmond made the recommendation not to roll back the millage rate.

“My recommendation to the other board members is to leave it at 8.138 so that we can use the additional revenue that it generates to meet the service delivery needs of the county,” Thurmond said Aug. 1.

The board voted unanimously to approve the 2017 millage rate that means the county will levy $10.6 million in property taxes, a little over $1 million more than last year.

Three hearings were held before the rate was adopted: The first at the commission’s work session on Aug. 10, the second Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. and the third hearing before the board voted at its regular meeting Aug. 17.

No one spoke at the first two hearings. At the final hearing Aug. 17, Weldon Sheriff spoke and said that the millage rate should be rolled back and that he was there to oppose the tax increase.