Fulton to keep taxes steady, tighten belt

Commissioners Marvin Arrington Jr. and Dana Barrett voted against keeping the rate steady, while Commissioner Natalie Hall abstained.

County staff proposed keeping the rate unchanged on the expectation that the tax digest would grow in value by 7%, Finance Director Hakeem Oshikoya said. But values are only up by 6.35% this year.

Thus, keeping the rate the same will leave the county $12 million short of what’s needed to balance the budget, assuming a 96% tax collection rate, Oshikoya said. It also means the county will have to trim costs further in the coming year, freezing any new spending and taking a critical look at one-time expenditures, the finance report said.

Federal funds used to reduce the court system backlog, and thus reduce jail overcrowding, are expected to run out by the end of this year. Several judges, Public Defender Maurice Kenner and Solicitor General Keith Gammage pressed commissioners for more, or at least consistent, funding — especially in light of Senate Bill 63, a state law taking effect Monday that increases the number of offenses that require a cash bond to get out of jail.

Barrett asked if there was any estimate of the impact of SB 63.

There has been some discussion with court and law enforcement officials, but not a financial analysis or study of how it will affect the jail population, Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whitmore said.

Barrett noted that several justice officials have said to expect a “significant increase” in the jail population.

Gammage asked commissioners to retain permanently the extra workers hired with federal pandemic funds to cut down a huge court backlog.

“It’ll be a travesty to let them go, because if we do, we’ll go back in time,” he said.

Chief Probate Judge Kenya Johnson said contested estate and guardianship cases are now taking six months to handle. Her court needs more judges and staff, she said.

State Court Chief Judge Wes Tailor said remaining backlogged cases are complex and can’t be dealt with briefly. He argued at length that even apart from old cases, next year state court will need more money and personnel to handle its workload.

Before voting, commissioners extensively debated the financial impact on efforts to improve health care in the county’s south end, and needed repairs to the Fulton County jail.

The county’s millage rate has been higher in the past, and decreased for years, Barrett said.

“It was above 9 (mills) as recently as 2021,” she said, adding that the coming year will be the third in which county expenses exceed expected revenue.

Commissioner Bridget Thorne sought to slightly lower the rate. Both attempts failed.

Although the final rate has not been set, this year’s notices of assessed value have already been mailed to Fulton property owners and are also available at www.fultonassessor.org. Due to mail delays, residents are urged to check their notices online; those without computers can visit the Board of Assessors office.

Property owners have 45 days to appeal assessments. For most taxpayers, that deadline is Aug. 2, but individual dates will be printed on the assessments.

Appeals can be submitted to the Board of Assessors in person, by mail or online.

Many homeowners can receive homestead exemptions to lower their bills. Every Fulton County property with a basic homestead exemption can also qualify for at least two “floating” exemptions, according to the county.

The taxable value of a house is 40% of its assessed market value, minus any exemptions, Commissioner Bob Ellis said in an email to constituents. But requests for those exemptions must have been filed before April 1 to affect this year’s tax bill, he said. The cities of Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell administer their own taxes, so residential assessments in those areas won’t reflect all of the exemptions for which an owner may be eligible, Ellis said.

There are 18 taxing jurisdictions in Fulton County, including cities and school boards. All of them will set their own millage rates in the next few weeks.

For more information go to www.fultonassessor.org or call 404-612-6440.