City of Orangeburg reducing millage rates as home values increase

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — City of Orangeburg officials say they’ve found a way to prevent property taxes from rising for most homeowners in the city, despite increasing home values. This comes after a recent countywide re-assessment showed higher home values, prompting concerns over potential property tax hikes.

In response to the re-assessment, the Orangeburg City Council voted to lower the property tax rate for residents within the city limits. The council reduced the millage rate from 115 mills to 109 mills, hoping this will help offset the impact of rising property values.

Marion Lloyd, Deputy Administrator for Orangeburg County, explained that the county is required by state law to reassess property every five years, notifying property owners of their new values and providing an option to appeal based on market trends.

“As mandated by state law, we reassess property every five years. We also notify the property owner of the value and also explain the appeals process if the property owner chooses to appeal the property based on the actual market value of the property,” Lloyd said.

Typically, when home values increase, property taxes also go up. However, the recent adjustment by the city council is expected to reduce the burden for many residents.

According to Lloyd, the decrease in millage means that homeowners will pay less in city property taxes, even if they may face higher taxes at the county level.

For example, Lloyd explained that for a home valued at $100,000, the tax savings could amount to about $24 annually due to the reduced millage rate.

Some residents expressed their appreciation for the change.

“I just bought a house, and lowering the property tax will help me save money, as well for things that I want to do like home improvements and other things in the household,” said resident Belva English.

Rose Pendarvis, another resident, echoed the sentiment, saying, “It would be great because everything is so high, that would be a blessing for everybody.”

The city and county send a combined property tax bill to residents within city limits, which will now reflect the new tax rate.