THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WTXL) — "On Saturday mornings you can't even find a park because so many people from other places come to shop here," said Debbie Hurst, Thomasville Native.
Whether it be for holiday shopping, back-to-school, or a quick stop to find something to wear to dinner Debbie Hurst says the place to be is downtown Thomasville.
"It's just a great place," said Hurst.
She tells me she's been shopping here all her life. Now she's sharing the experience with Granddaughter.
"One of our favorite things to do is to shop," said Hurst.
It's shoppers like her that are giving area tax revenue a boost.
Thomas County's manager says shoppers are creating large sales tax numbers for Thomas County specifically in downtown Thomasville.
"We are blessed with a strong local retail economy and that brings in sales tax so that the additional sales tax helps us cover the inevitable increase in operating government," said Michael Stephenson, Thomas County Manager.
Meaning they don't have to pull money from elsewhere like property taxes.
As a result, over the past 10 years Thomas County has not raised their property taxes. Stephenson suspects this will be no different for the upcoming fiscal year.
I got the documents from Stephenson.
For example, in 2022, the incorporated millage was 7.85. They're proposing dropping that to 6.96.
That's a decrease of about 11%.
Stephenson says in 2022 alone the county earned more than 5 million dollars in sales tax revenue.
Thanks in part to shoppers like Hurst...who are making the most of their community.
"You get to see your friends people that you work with the cobble stone streets. I love it," said Hurst.
New property tax numbers will be presented at the next County Commissioners meeting on July 25.
