It was almost over before it started. Tyrone Town Council Thursday held what was likely one of its shortest meeting in recent memory when council members adopted a 2008 rollback millage rate of 2.889 mills that neutralized any net tax increase for property owners.

Like all of Fayette County in the past year, Tyrone had a decreased amount of new construction and motor vehicle values to add to the tax digest than it had seen in recent years, according to the town’s five-year history. For 2008, net taxes levied increased by $67,511 over the previous year.

Tyrone during the 2003-2007 period saw double-digit growth. The value of real property in 2003 totaled $177.8 million, increasing to $359.5 million in 2007. For 2008, the value of real property was placed $380 million.

Slowed growth during 2008 may have potential ramifications for the future. Project proposals coming before the Tyrone’s planning commission and town council have decreased during 2008. The approval process for new construction projects can take weeks or months, with completion of those projects a year or more into the future once approved. Symptomatic of the nation’s economic downturn, Tyrone’s diminished growth mirrors a similar situation across Fayette County and metro Atlanta. It is a time when local governments are taking a close look at the services tax revenue generates and the cost associated with those services.