A city property tax in Hampton is a possibility for the first time in a long time.

City officials released a statement advertising three public hearings, as required by state law, in anticipation of discussing a new millage rate of 6.500. The millage for the current year, and the past few decades, has been zero.

The first two public hearings were scheduled for July 18, one in the morning and one in the evening. The final public hearing is Monday, July 25, at 6 p.m. at the City Hall building, 17 East Main Street South.

According to the statement from the city, the proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $225,000 is approximately $585 and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $225,000 is the same amount.

It has long been an annual event in Hampton for the City Council to gather around this time of year at a special called meeting that usually lasts only a few minutes – long enough for a motion to be made to roll the millage back to zero and then for the majority of the council to vote in favor of it.

A year ago council member Marty Meeks told the Times that he had a receipt from when his parents paid city tax back in the 1970s. Tommy Smith, who was a council member in the 1970s and later was mayor for more than 20 years, said that he and other city leaders worked to eliminate city property tax around 1979. There were no property taxes up until he resigned as mayor in 2001, and none since then until perhaps now.