While the city of Griffin has advertised a possible increase in its tax rate, it may stay the same.

City Manager Kenny Smith told city commissioners last week that the board will setting the millage at its next meeting.

“I went ahead and advertised it at the roll-back rate of 8.989 mills,” Smith said, “but staff recommends we leave it the same, at 8.636 mills.”

The city, like the county and school board, are required to advertise a hearing for any increase in the millage or property tax rate. The city’s notice ran in the Nov. 9 issue of the Griffin Daily News.

Smith told the commissioners that just because that rate was advertised doesn’t mean it will be the rate approved.

“You can come down from it, you just can’t go above it,” he said.

The roll-back rate is technically an increase, though it is the rate the city would need to bring in about the same amount as the current rate brought in this past fiscal year. According to the millage notice, the city’s tax digest, or the value of all the taxable property in the city, has declined again, as it has since 2008.

The gross tax digest in the city is $548,224,940, with the value of one mill of tax estimated at $512,000. At the roll-back rate the city would bring in $4,600,288, while leaving the millage at 8.636 mills would bring in $4,421,622, both down from $4,661,292 last year.

The anticipated continued decline in the county tax digest has caused the county and school board to also plan millage rate increases. The school board and county are scheduled to vote next Monday, Nov. 26, and the city will take it up next Tuesday, Nov. 27, with the meeting beginning at 9 a.m., in the W. Elmer George Municipal Hall, 100 South Hill St.