The Meridian City Council on Tuesday approved a budget of $55.4 million for the city for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

The county Board of Supervisors, town of Marion, Lauderdale County School District and Meridian Public School District have all completed the budget process as well.

Across the board, there is little change in the millage rate heading into the new fiscal year, but property owners are expected to see significant increases in their annual tax bills nonetheless. For that, they can thank the state of Mississippi.

When calculating a property’s value, workers with the Lauderdale County Tax Assessor’s office use criteria and a formula that is set by the state. They plug in information about the property and get a true value in return. That’s a gross simplification, but the idea is the same.

Calculating a properties true value is not the same as reassessing a property, which is done on a different cycle.

State law requires the tax assessor’s office to reassess every property in the county every four years — Lauderdale County’s tax assessor aims for 25% each year — to look for any changes that may have occurred. Assessors look for a new addition, outbuilding, new porch or other differences from the prior assessment that could potentially change a property’s value.

Reassessments take place every four years, but calculating a property’s true value is done annually.

This year, the state formula was updated dramatically to reflect modern costs, and anyone who has dabbled in construction, remodeling, renovation or visited a lumber yard in the past four or five years can tell you costs have risen significantly.

The rise in costs has the benefit of making homes worth more, but with that rise in worth comes an increase in taxes. The end result is a millage rate that stays the same but ends up costing residents more.

As fall nears, local officials will begin sending out annual property tax bills, and home and business owners will likely experience some degree of sticker shock when they see how much they owe. And while it’s tempting to head down to the courthouse to yell at county employees, keep in mind this wasn’t optional or a local idea.

Like so many other unpopular decisions that leave local officials to deal with the angry phone calls and upset constituents, it’s a state mandate that is increasing taxes.