Publication by county of ad valorem tax rate.

(b) (1) Each levying authority and each recommending authority shall cause a report to be published in a newspaper of general circulation throughout the county and posted on such authority’s website, if available:

(A) At least one week prior to the certification of any recommending authority to the levying authority of such recommending authority’s recommended school tax for the support and maintenance of education pursuant to Article VIII, Section VI, Paragraph I of the Constitution; and

(B) At least one week prior to the establishment by each levying authority of the millage rates for ad valorem taxes for educational purposes and ad valorem taxes for purposes other than educational purposes for the current calendar year.

(2) Such reports shall be in a prominent location in such newspaper and shall not be included with legal advertisements, and such reports shall be posted in a prominent location on such authority’s website, if available. The size and location of the advertisements shall not be grounds for contesting the validity of the levy.

(c) The reports required under subsection (b) of this Code section shall contain the following:

(1) For levying authorities, the assessed taxable value of all property, by class and in total, which is within the levying authority’s taxing jurisdiction and the proposed millage rate for the levying authority’s purposes for the current calendar year and such assessed taxable values and the millage rates for each of the immediately preceding five calendar years, as well as the proposed total dollar amount of ad valorem taxes to be levied for the levying authority’s purposes for the current calendar year and the total dollar amount of ad valorem taxes levied for the levying authority’s purposes for each of the immediately preceding five calendar years. The information required for each year specified in this paragraph shall also indicate the percentage increase and total dollar increase with respect to the immediately preceding calendar year. In the event the rate levied in the unincorporated area is different from the rate levied in the incorporated area, the report shall also indicate all required information with respect to the incorporated area, unincorporated area, and a combination of incorporated and unincorporated areas;

(2) For recommending authorities, the assessed taxable value of all property, by class and in total, which is within the recommending authority’s taxing jurisdiction and the proposed millage rate for the recommending authority’s purposes for the current calendar year and such assessed taxable values and the millage rates for each of the immediately preceding five calendar years, as well as the proposed total dollar amount of ad valorem taxes to be recommended for the recommending authority’s purposes for the current calendar year and the total dollar amount of ad valorem taxes levied for the recommending authority’s purposes for each of the immediately preceding five calendar years. The information required for each year specified in this paragraph shall also indicate the percentage increase and total dollar increase with respect to the immediately preceding calendar year; and

(3) The date, time, and place where the levying or recommending authority will be setting its millage rate for such authority’s purposes.

(d) The commissioner shall not accept for review the digest of any county which does not submit simultaneously a copy of such published reports for the county governing authority and the county board of education with such digest. In the event a digest is not accepted for review by the commissioner pursuant to this subsection, it shall be accepted for review upon satisfactory submission by such county of a copy of such published reports. The levies of each of the levying authorities other than the county governing authority shall be invalid and unenforceable until such time as the provisions of this Code section have been met. History. Code 1981, § 48-5-32, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 889, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1903, § 7; Ga. L. 1993, p. 947, § 7; Ga. L. 2015, p. 1219, § 7/HB 202. The 2015 amendment, effective January 1, 2016, in subsection (b), added the present paragraph (1) and (2) designations and redesignated former paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B); in paragraph (b)(1), in the introductory language, added “and posted on such authority’s website, if available” and substituted “one week” for “two weeks” in subparagraphs (b)(1)(A) and (b)(1)(B); and added “, and such reports shall be posted in a prominent location on such authority’s website, if available” at the end of the first sentence in paragraph (b)(2). Code Commission notes. Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 1990, Code Section 48-5-32 as enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 1901, § 1 was renumbered as Code Section 48-5-33 [now repealed] because Ga. L. 1990, p. 889, § 1 had previously enacted a Code Section 48-5-32. Editor’s notes. Ga. L. 1991, p. 1903, § 15, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that the amendment to this Code section shall be applicable beginning January 1, 1992, with respect to ad valorem taxation of timber and shall be applicable beginning January 1, 1992, for all other purposes. Taxation for prior periods shall continue to be governed by prior law.