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Tucker staff authorized to advertise estimated rollback millage; small revenue difference explained
Summary
City finance staff advised the council on advertising the city’s proposed 2025 millage and the council authorized advertising the certified estimated rollback rate to avoid a required disclosure of a tax increase on property tax bills.
City finance staff presented the process for advertising the City of Tucker’s proposed property‑tax millage for 2025 and recommended publishing the certified estimated rollback rate to avoid a statutorily required disclosure that the city adopted a higher rate.
Beverly Hilton, the city finance officer, said staff initially provided DeKalb County with a certified estimated rollback rate of 2.036 mills based on preliminary digest information but the official certified rate issued on May 15 was 2.039 mills, a revenue difference of about $9,600. Hilton said that if the council advertises a lower rate than the certified estimate the law would require the city to state on tax bills that it adopted a rate higher than the certified rollback rate; advertising the certified estimate avoids that disclosure. “If council agrees to go with the 2.036, we will not have to advertise a property tax increase,” Hilton said; she further advised that staff would prefer to include millage discussions earlier in next year’s budget schedule to avoid last‑minute timing pressure.
Council authorized staff to proceed with the advertising the proposed millage as explained in the presentation and staff placed the required advertisement for public hearing. Hilton noted that if the council later directs a different rate, staff would need to re‑advertise and run additional required hearings before adoption, which could be done on an expedited schedule but would add cost and administrative steps.
Why it matters: The advertised rate determines public‑hearing notices and required disclosures under state tax law; small changes in the digest timing can change whether an advertised rate is treated as a property‑tax increase for disclosure purposes.
What’s next
Staff will proceed with the advertised public‑hearing schedule tied to the certified rollback rate and bring formal millage adoption back to council through the advertised hearings. If the council decides to adopt a rate different from the advertised rollback rate, additional advertising and hearings will be required before July 1.
