Frequently Asked Questions
Water Related
To begin your water service, you’ll need to:
- Fill out the water service request form. The form is available online or can be picked up from City Hall at 302 S. Columbia Avenue in Rincon 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday.
- Attach a copy of your settlement statement or renter’s lease and a copy of your driver’s license. If a real estate company, we will need a listing.
- Pay a $150 deposit (for residential users) to complete your application. We accept cash, check, money order, Visa or MasterCard. When mailing your application, do not send cash. Checks or money orders should be made payable to City of Rincon. A $200 deposit is required of all commercial users.
- Drop off your application at City Hall from 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday, or simply it mail it to:
City of Rincon
Attn: Water Department, New Application
P.O. Box 232
Rincon, GA 31326
Applications received before 4:00 pm can be connected the same day.
Water bills are mailed no later than 10th of each month. The City bills a month behind.
Estimating water bills is difficult because each customer’s type of account and water usage is different.
Disconnect applications must be submitted in person. A photo ID is required of the account holder.
The utilities department hours are 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. In the event of an emergency, you can reach the on-call utilities staff person at 912-759-1616. Follow the prompt by entering your phone number, and your call will be promptly returned.
Garbage Service
Garbage pickup is Wednesday or Thursday depending on what zone you’re in, unless a holiday falls on that day or an unforeseen problem occurs. Waste Pro, the City’s garbage contractor, is responsible for customer notification of changes in pickup schedules. If you have any questions regarding garbage pickup, please call 912-290-2118.
Your garbage charges are billed on your monthly water and sewer bill.
If you are moving into a brand new construction home, you will be issued a garbage can that will be delivered by Waste Pro within 7 days of the day you move in. If you move into an existing home, the garbage can that was issued to that address will then become yours. If the cart is missing, the resident will need to contact City Hall.
Annexation into the City
Most of the properties surrounding Rincon already have Rincon Post Office addresses. A few addresses might be affected. Correct addresses are important because of the protection link provided by E9-1-1 telephone service and first responders.
No. Annexation into the City of Rincon should, in fact, increase the property values and marketability of residential and commercial properties, due to the lack of a City Property Tax, and the availability of quality City services at reduced costs to City residents.
No. School attendance zone boundaries are handled by the Effingham Countywide School District and are unaffected by annexation. Effingham County is noted for some of the best schools in this region, which is a significant part of the reason that new residents are moving into the county.
The City of Rincon has a contract arrangement with Waste Pro for curbside solid waste pickup, once each week, and recycling twice a month, billed with water bills. The rate from Waste Pro is very reasonable, and is re-visited every year for adjustments. Residents are encouraged to be mindful of what types of harmful products they put down their sewer drains, stormwater drains, and in the trash containers, and to dispose of these items properly. Various new information brochures are available at City Hall. Limbs and leaves (dry trash) can be picked up by Waste Pro by clicking here. There is a fee for large amounts of limbs and leaves. Residents are encouraged not to mix limbs and leaves with solid waste in the trash container, as these are recyclable.
Not of any noticeable difference. The City Building and Zoning Department and the Growth Management Plan might use different names than before, but the same zoning potentials should be available in order to maintain the character of the whole community.
Absolutely. Although the City of Rincon does not have a Property Tax, the needs and services of the citizens are being met through funding from strong financial sources, such as SPLOST and LOST Sales Tax and from user fees, permits, licenses, etc. where the resident pays for the services that he uses (recreation, water, sewer, etc.). The City Council spent several years preparing for a shift to a non-property tax funding for Rincon, and carefully reviewed the potentials before making the step. The City Council is dedicated to trying to maintain that status of no property taxes and a strong financial base. Even during the recent economic down-turns, felt nationwide, the City of Rincon has continued to provide the same level of quality services as in the past, while continuing to plan for and prepare for developing new and better services in the community.
The City of Rincon operates under a Council-Manager form of government. This system of government combines the strong political leadership of locally elected officials with the education and managerial experience of an appointed manager. Under the Council-Manager form of government, elected officials (the Mayor and six City Council members) focus on policymaking and growth issues, while the City Manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the City. The City of Rincon uses an at-large election system where the Mayor and half of the City Council are elected in one cycle for four years, and the other half of the City Council is elected two years later in staggered elections. In the City Council elections, the City is a single voting district, and the top three vote getters are the winners of the election. Staggered elections allow the Council members, still serving their terms, to offer information and guidance to the newly elected Council members and promote continuity. If you have questions, you are encouraged to speak with the Mayor or one of the City Council members; or communicate with the City Manager at City Hall, at 912-826-5745, or at [email protected].
Residents of the City of Rincon receive a higher level of service than most of the unincorporated areas of the county, and we are constantly working to improve the services as well as provide conveniences for a better quality of life to our local community. Funding for these higher services are largely affected by property and population within the limits of the city. Your person and or property are already a part of the local community; however, your local community is not receiving the full benefit of funding available for improving services and conveniences you enjoy, because you are not currently in the city limits.
If you were to annex, your local community could receive additional benefits from Local Option Sales Tax and Special Local Option Sales Tax, Insurance Premium Taxes and other revenues that are already being collected but are not staying in our local community. The direct benefits for your local community are road improvements, recreation improvement, park improvement, stormwater improvement, public service improvement in police and fire and on it goes if you were to annex into the city.
Property tax rates would not increase as a result of annexation. The city does not collect a property tax and has a long history of rolling back all property taxes of the City with its Local Option Sales tax receipts. In fact, annexation would protect you from being taxed by the county for services provided primarily to the unincorporated areas, for which you receive no benefit. Annexation would not increase your annual millage (tax rate) at all.
Residential Fees for fire, garbage pickup, water and sewer utilities within the City of Rincon are lower.
If you are currently on a private system you would not be required to change. If and when you decide to connect to the City’s utility systems, the city would waive the tap connection fees. If you choose to connect, you would enjoy the lowest water and sewer rates offered in Effingham or Chatham Counties.
Rincon residents enjoy more officers patrolling per square mile than any other part of the county, resulting in enhanced protection of property and person, and a faster response to emergency needs. With annexation, you too would enjoy the higher protection provided by the City without the loss of the base coverage provided by the county. And the Rincon fire department has the best insurance rating and response time of any in the county. In an emergency minutes count and annexation would
This may be the best part of annexation yet. We all fear what the government may put next to our property or how it may restrict our enjoyment of our property. And, what makes that fear worse is when people who do not live in our community and are not elected by our community, make decisions about our area. When you annex, all zoning decisions are made only by people who live in your community and only by people elected into office by your community. Never again will someone who lives in another part of the county, whom you did not elect and who is not connected to your interest make a decision about how you will use and enjoy your property.
Summary
The City of Rincon is committed to providing excellent service to its residents and would like to improve our service to the local community. Service and related improvements are directly related to city population numbers. When you annex into the city, you and your local community benefit greatly without increasing your property taxes or the fees you are presently paying.
It is a win-win for you and your community. Please consider supporting the local community by annexation into the city limits of Rincon. For more information please contact the City of Manager at 912-826-5745.
Other Utilities
Georgia Power
(888) 660-5890
http://www.georgiapower.com/
Call one of the following numbers depending on whether you are looking for service for you home or your business:
Windstream
(800) 501-1754
or
Comcast
800-354-7531
COMCAST Cable
912-354-7531
For DSL call the telephone company listed above. For cable, contact the cable company listed above.
Atlanta Gas Light Company
800-427-5463
Miscellaneous
All inspections are conducted Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and require a minimum of 24 hours notice. Requests for inspections can be made by calling 912-826-5996 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Your call will be returned to set an appointment for your inspection.
The City of Rincon does not have a separate Chamber of Commerce, but the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce serves as a very dynamic and active part of our business community. You can reach them by calling 912-754-3301 or by visiting them at www.effinghamcounty.com.
All regularly scheduled council meetings are the second and fourth Monday of every month at 7 p.m., unless that Monday falls on a holiday or has another conflict for council. Meetings are held in Council Chambers located at the Rincon Police Department, 107 W. 17th Street.
All court sessions are held on the second and fourth Thursday of every month at 4:00 p.m. in the Rincon Police Department Court Room located at 107 W. 17th Street.
Some fines require an appearance in court. If a court appearance is not required and you are a Georgia resident, you can pay your citation online at www.municipalonlinepayments.com or you can mail your money order made payable to the City of Rincon to:
City of Rincon
PO Box 232
Rincon, GA 31326
You may also bring your payment to the Rincon City Hall at 302 S. Columbia Ave
Spring baseball and softball signups are held from the end of January to mid February. Fall ball signups are held the first half of July, and the season is from mid August to mid September. Soccer sign ups are held the last half of July, and the season is from mid September to mid October. For complete information on recreation department sports, click here. If you’d like to reach Recreation Director Mike Osborne, please call 912-826-0238 and leave a message. A staff member will return your call as soon as possible.