Understanding Your 2025 Notice of Assessment
Posted By: Tax Assessor's Office on Jun-19-2025 @ 10:32 am
JUNE 19, 2025
2025 Notices of Assessment look different than previous years due to legislation passed during the 2024 and 2025 Georgia General Assembly. We hope you take some time to review the following information to assist in understanding the new Notice of Assessment. If you have any questions after reading the following information, we encourage you to contact the Tax Assessor’s Office at 678-493-6120.
Each assessment notice includes bolded contact information for a direct person for you to reach about your particular property. We encourage you to contact the assigned employee for your property.
Information and Communication
Cherokee County issued an initial news release posted to the county website and sent to media on May 2, 2025, announcing a delay in mailing of assessment notices due to the changes required by state law and outlining some of those changes. To read the news release, please click the link: https://www.cherokeecountyga.gov/Communications/media.php?storyID=525
An article based on the news release was published in The Cherokee Tribune’s online edition on May 2, 2025 and on Page A8 in the May 3/4, 2025 print edition. An article also was published on Page 20 of the free monthly Cherokee Ledger Monthly June edition.
Cherokee County issued a news release posted to the county website and sent to media on June 3, 2025, explaining how the legislation affected the Notice of Assessment and the assessment process. To read the news release, please click the link: https://www.cherokeecountyga.gov/Communications/media.php?storyID=537.
The news release was published in The Cherokee Tribune’s online edition on June 6, 2025 and on page A3 of the June 7/8, 2025 print edition.
The news release was also distributed via the county’s monthly newsletter, Cherokee Messenger, which was also shared to the county’s social media pages. In addition, it was included in District Commissioners’ newsletters. Anyone can sign up for the newsletters by visiting the Communications Division webpage on the county website, www.cherokeecountyga.gov. Click on News & Press Releases to navigate to all news releases and newsletter sign up.
State Legislative-induced changes to 2025 Notices of Assessment
- The entire estimate of taxes no longer appears in “Box C” at the bottom of the Notice of Assessment.
- Local governing authorities could report a rollback rate to the Tax Assessor’s Office by an agreed upon deadline. The state law states that when a local taxing authority reports a millage rate, the estimated tax WILL NOT APPEAR on the Notice of Assessment. The state law states that when a local taxing authority does not report a millage rate to the Tax Assessor’s Office by the deadline, the estimated tax WILL APPEAR on the Notice of Assessment.
- The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners voted to not report a millage rate to ensure the estimated tax amount would be included on the assessment.
- Other jurisdictions that did not provide a millage rate include Ball Ground, Nelson, Waleska, and Mountain Park.
- Canton, Holly Springs, Woodstock, and the Board of Education provided their millage rates to the Board of Assessors.
- State law dictated that the Fire Tax and Bonds will not appear on the new notice. The only entries in Box C will be for the County M&O, School M&O and, if applicable, the City M&O.
Tax Assessor’s Office update to the Board of Commissioners on June 17, 2025
Information presented during the public June 17, 2025 work session, available for live viewing online and a recorded video after the meeting. Click the following link to access the videos: https://cherokeega.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=1
HB 581 (New for 2025)
- Created a Statewide Floating Homestead Exemption
- Eliminates one-year sale value lock
- Three-year appeal lock only when taxpayer wins a reduction in value by appeal
- Eliminates tax estimate on Notice of Assessment
- Adds a “rollback rate” to the Notice of Assessment.
HB 92 (New for 2025)
- Created the rules for estimated rollback reporting
- Created a maximum 5 acres for floating homestead
- Taxpayers may file for homestead exemption during 45-day appeal process
SB 388 (New for 2025)
- Local Senior Exemption: Restricted to those who are 62 and have held a Cherokee County Homestead Exemption for 5 years.
- 100% Exemption | No Cap
2025 Metrics
- 6,430 new Homestead Exemption Applications ahead of April 1 deadline
- 14,375 total applications adding spouses to exemption (following a mailer, newsletter distribution, and social media communication sent by Cherokee County in Q3 of 2024)
- 114,830 Taxable Parcels
- 85,063 parcels increased in value
- 17,9595 parcels decreased in value
- 11,808 parcels had no change in value
Local Assessors are graded by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts by median, coefficient of dispersion and price-related differential.
Definitions of each:
Median – The measure of central tendency the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts uses to determine how closely aligned assessment values are to sales values overall. The media is express at the 40% assessment level with an allowance range between 0.36-0.44.
Coefficient of Dispersion (COD) – The measure of the average dispersion of a set of sales ratios about the median of the set. COD is expressed as a percentage and should fall below 15% for residential properties, 20% for agricultural, commercial, and industrial properties.
Price Related Differential (PRD) – The measure of bias (higher value vs. lower value) within a set of sales ratios. PRD is expressed as a percentage where the allowable range is 0.95-1.10. A PRD below 1.00 indicates a bias in favor of higher valued properties. A PRD above 1.00 indicates a bias in favor of lower valued properties.
2025 Ratios by Classification
Agricultural Property
Median: 0.3954
COD: 6.260%
PRD: 1.066
Commercial Property
Median: 0.3873
COD: 2.850%
PRD: 1.0023
Industrial Property
Median: 0.3896
COD: 1.810%
PRD: 1.0042
Residential Property
Median: 0.3949
COD: 4.700%
PRD: 1.0046
If you have questions after reading this information, please call 678-493-6120 for general questions. If your questions are property-specific, please contact the employee listed on your Notice of Assessment printed in bold at the top of the document.
