ATLANTA, Ga. — The Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down Chatham County fire protection charges as an illegal tax, a decision that forces roughly $30 million in refunds there and puts similar local fees across the state under a microscope.
Justices said the mandatory fire service charge in unincorporated Chatham was not tied to property value the way Georgia law requires for that kind of tax. The county layered a flat per-parcel amount with a square-footage add-on, then used the money to pay for fire coverage through a contractor before later folding costs into property taxes when it stood up its own department in 2024.
Property owners who paid during the fee years may get money back, with amounts tied to home size. County Commission Chairman Chester Ellis said officials will wait for a detailed court order before mailing checks and are locating budget room so fire service itself is not cut.
Clint Mueller, who helps lead the statewide county commissioners association, said governments across Georgia are now reviewing other service charges that look like the Chatham model. If more fees fall, he said, higher property taxes are the fallback most managers expect if fee revenue disappears.
Unlike utility bills that state law expressly allows, many local fire, trash or stormwater charges sit on thinner legal ground when they raise general revenue, are hard to avoid and do not track how much service a property uses. The high court applied a multi-factor test that treats those traits as hallmarks of a tax.
Lawmakers may face pressure in the next session to clarify when counties can charge true fees versus value-based taxes. For now, clerks and finance directors outside Savannah are inventorying ordinances that resemble the voided Chatham schedule.
Section: More Savannah GA politics news
Filed under: Savannah GA Politics News
