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Stonecrest council certifies 2025 estimated rollback rate, says millage will not change
Summary
At a May 6 special call, the Stonecrest City Council unanimously approved a resolution certifying an estimated rollback rate for 2025 required by new state law; city staff said the action does not change the city's current millage rate or raise taxes.
Stonecrest Mayor Jasmine Cobble and the City Council on May 6 voted to certify the city's 2025 estimated rollback rate, a state-required preview figure that will appear on the annual property assessment notices.
City Finance Director Gaines told the council that the certification is required by recent legislation, saying, "this is not the same as setting the millage rate. Instead, the estimated rollback rate is a preview number that will be printed on the annual notice of assessments." The notice of assessments is scheduled to be mailed May 30.
The council approved a resolution titled "to certify the estimated rollback rate for the city of Stonecrest for 2025." Director Gaines said Stonecrest does not plan to change its current millage rate; the staff stated the certified rollback number reflects that unchanged millage. "So the estimated rollback rate is just us notifying the county that we're not whatever rate we're gonna remain at, which is the same millage rate, 1.257," Gaines said.
Gaines and other staff linked the new step to state legislation. "This is a new process, which is a state requirement," Gaines said, referencing House Bill 581 and House Bill 92 and noting DeKalb County set a local deadline the city was meeting. Gaines told the council the city attended a seminar hosted by the county tax commissioner and received guidance about the digest submission to the Georgia Department of Revenue.
Council members asked whether the certification would affect taxpayers. Councilman Terry Fye asked, "And as far as you know, this will in no way impact the amount of taxes anyone has to pay?" Gaines replied, "No way." After the reading of the resolution, the council voted and the motion carried 4-0 with one member absent.
The resolution is procedural: staff described it as a compliance step to satisfy state law and the county's timeline rather than a change in rates. The city clerk read the resolution into the record during the special call.
The certification must be completed at least 15 days before the assessment notices are mailed, a timing requirement Gaines cited. The council did not take any additional action on millage at the special call; any change to the millage rate would require a separate formal adoption process.
City staff said they will continue to follow county and state timelines for the digest and notices. No further hearings or votes on millage were scheduled during the special call meeting.
