Due to a state-mandated revaluing of real estate that hits Lowndes County this year, taxpayers throughout the county are facing substantial property tax bumps next fiscal year. To protect taxpayers from this increase, local governments have to take action to reduce their millage rate.

With the modest reductions they’ve offered so far, city home owners will see a 21% increase in property taxes. County residents outside the city limits will see a similar percent increase.

As we have noted previously, any elected official who proposed double digit tax hikes in a single year would be summarily tossed out of office in the next election. It would be viewed as an audacious overreach.

We should be equally outraged when officials passively let it happen.

Columbus and Lowndes County can still reduce the pending 21% increase, which stands to be a burden on their citizens.

The city has reduced taxes 1.11 mills while the county has so far said they plan to only offer a 0.28-mill reduction. Both could certainly do more.

As it stands now, though, the city and county are both signaling they don’t plan to offer any further reductions.

To its credit, the city has at least had multiple open conversations about what exactly the additional tax revenue will fund: Most of it will go to raises for police and fire, along with a new city-wide minimum wage of $15 per hour. When the city heard about the 21% increase, they scheduled another work session to better understand the bump from tax assessor Greg Andrews. While they ham-handedly ultimately decided to not offer further reductions, they’ve at least made an attempt.

In the meantime, the county has effectively shrugged its shoulders and said, “inflation,” seemingly content to saddle its citizens with a massive tax hike with few details on why an extra $1.7 million is needed next fiscal year.

Have we entered the Twilight Zone?  Is the city acting more fiscally conservative than the supervisors? When’s the last time anyone could say that?

Are the county’s obligations really jumping $1.7 million in one year? Are taxes from the $9 billion in industrial development in the county not enough?

If $1.7 million more is needed by Lowndes County next year, the public deserves a more detailed explanation.

A lot of citizens turned out to express their views about the property taxes at the city’s workshop on Thursday morning.

We would reasonably expect a similar gathering at the board of supervisors meeting on Monday morning at 9 a.m. at the Lowndes County Courthouse.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.