Daulton Harris for District 1 BOE

08/25/2026

So now we’re supposed to celebrate 6 mills and forget everything that just happened?

We’re talking about a $20+ BILLION project being dropped into Effingham County. Thousands of acres. Massive power demand. New infrastructure. More development. More people. More pressure on housing, roads, schools, and public services.

And after weeks of people raising hell about the lack of transparency, suddenly we’re being handed roughly 6 mills of tax relief and told what a great deal this is?

I’m sorry, but 6 mills isn’t enough to make me stop asking questions.

How much revenue will this project actually generate? How much are we giving up through abatements and incentives? How long does this tax relief last? What happens after the land-sale money is gone? And what will the long-term cost of supporting this development be?

Show us the math.

Because from where I’m sitting, this feels less like an answer to the public’s concerns and more like an attempt to throw taxpayers a bone and hope everybody shuts up.

Six mills doesn’t buy my silence.

$20 billion deserves a hell of a lot more accountability than that.

08/22/2026

THE MILLAGE RATE WENT DOWN — BUT DON’T EXPECT YOUR TAX BILL TO NECESSARILY GO DOWN.

I want to clarify my earlier post because this distinction matters.

The Effingham County Board of Education lowered the millage rate from 18.45 mills to 18.018 mills, about a 2.34% reduction.

That sounds like a tax cut. But 18.018 is the rollback rate.

The rollback rate is calculated to account for increases in property values from reassessments. In simple terms: if property values go up, the millage rate can come down while the school system still collects roughly the same amount of tax revenue from the existing tax base.

So yes, the millage rate was lowered.

But if your taxable property value increased, don’t assume your actual school property tax bill is going to be lower. For many taxpayers, the reduction in the rate may simply offset some or all of the increase in taxable value.

I’m glad the rate didn’t remain at 18.45 mills, but we need to understand the difference between lowering the millage rate and lowering the taxes people actually pay.

As always, pay attention to the numbers and not just the headlines.

08/22/2026

Well, at least we got this far. A lower millage rate is a win for Effingham taxpayers.

But it still doesn’t explain the NDAs signed by members of our Board of Education regarding the proposed data center, or the tax abatement the project received.

We’ll keep asking questions and pushing for transparency.

𝗧𝗮𝘅𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗮𝘀 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲
After two years of increases, Effingham County Schools has lowered its millage rate as the tax digest grows. Here’s what the change means for local property taxpayers.
https://www.effinghamherald.net/local/effingham-county-schools-lower-millage-rate-to-18018-mills-2027-budget-rollback/

07/25/2026

Please consider showing up Monday night.

This event is being hosted by local Democrats. I am not a Democrat, but I will be in attendance. And I’m encouraging Republicans, independents, and anyone else concerned about the future of Effingham County to be there too.

So far, they are the only group I’ve seen organize a public discussion specifically about how we can fight this project, what options we still have, and how we can get organized. I wish an issue this important wasn’t attached to any political party, because I don’t believe national political identity should dictate what is best for Effingham County.

Don’t stay home simply because the other party organized the meeting. Show up. Ask questions. Bring information. Speak your mind. Disagree when you disagree. We need reasonable people from across the political spectrum in that room.

This is bigger than Republican vs. Democrat. This is about Effingham County and the people who have to live with the decisions being made here.

I’ll be there Monday at 6:00. I hope you’ll join me.

07/24/2026

Sign the petition. We have options.

If it comes down to it, Georgia law provides a recall process that can ultimately allow voters to remove elected officials from office before their terms are over. If the legal requirements are met, we have the ability to pursue that process against elected officials responsible for these decisions.

But there’s one beautiful thing coming out of all of this: this has gone beyond party lines. Republicans, Democrats, independents—people from across the political spectrum are standing together and saying NO.

I’m proud of this community for showing up, speaking out, asking questions, and refusing to sit quietly when something this significant could change the future of Effingham County.

We have options. We have a voice. Keep showing up.