Polk County residents will now have an extra two days to turn in their

property tax payments.

The property tax deadline, which was slated for Monday, Dec. 31, has

been moved to Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013.

Why the extra days? According to a county official, the board of

commissioners voted to give county employees the day off on New Year’s

Eve and New Year’s Day.

That would leave tax offices closed and unable to collect payment,

hence the deadline move to Jan. 2.

The Polk County Tax Commissioner’s Office is located at 144 West Ave.,

Suite A, in Cedartown. Property tax payments can be made at that

location and also in Rockmart at 316 N. Piedmont Ave.

Taxes can also be paid online by visiting the tax commissioner’s

website at www.polkgeorgia.org.

The tax rate, or millage, in each county is set annually by the board

of county commissioners, or other governing authority of the taxing

jurisdiction, and by the Board of Education.

A tax rate of one mill represents a tax liability of one dollar per

$1,000 of assessed value. The average county and municipal millage

rate is 30 mills; the state millage rate in each county is 0.25 mills.

In Polk County, the millage rate is 10.850 mills; the rate set by the

school board is 16.280 mills. Cedartown’s millage rate is 11.340,

while Rockmart’s rate is 8.989 and the city of Aragon’s is listed at

12.400.

Property in Georgia is assessed at 40 percent of the fair market value

unless otherwise specified by law.