Fulton County hears hours of public opposition to proposed property-tax increase as debate over Westside TAD intensifies

Hundreds of Fulton County residents crowded the July 9 meeting of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners to oppose a proposed increase in the county's property tax rate and to press commissioners to protect affordable housing programs in the Westside Tax Allocation District (TAD).

Speakers told Chairman Rob Pitts and the six commissioners that an advertised increase from 8.87 to 9.87 millsa0(what county staff said would be a 12.49% increase on present rates if adopted) would force seniors and working families from their homes and deepen affordability problems already visible across the county.

The argument recurred across dozens of public commenters: keeping the county's budget solvent should not fall disproportionately on homeowners and renters. Jody Reishel, a Sandy Springs city councilor and property owner in Fulton County, told the panel the change "is a difference between stability and displacement" for many tenants. Jamie Parish, another speaker, said the increase would hit seniors on fixed incomes and small-business landlords who currently keep rents low.

Mayor John Bradberry of Johns Creek told commissioners "do we need to tighten up?" and urged fiscal restraint while acknowledging county service needs. Other municipal and nonprofit speakers urged the board to seek savings and to pressure large commercial property owners who, they said, were underassessed and receiving tax advantages.

Many comments also focused on the Westside TAD, the long-running tax-increment finance tool used to direct development dollars into Atlanta's Westside neighborhoods. Speakers including Eloisa Clementis of Invest Atlanta, Quest Community Development's Leonard Adams, and multiple neighborhood leaders described how the TAD has funded affordable housing and catalytic investments while opponents argued that some projects have accelerated gentrification and raised property values faster than subsidized housing was produced.

Vice Chairman Bob Ellis and Commissioner Khadijah Abdul Rahman co-sponsored a resolution on the July 9 agenda to decline participation in new Westside TAD projects and to direct the tax commissioner to cease future remittances to the Atlanta Development Authority for new Westside TAD projects. After extended discussion and requests for additional financial and legal analysis, the board voted unanimously to hold the resolution so staff and Invest Atlanta could prepare follow-up information and negotiation options.

Commissioners emphasized this was a procedural step, not a final decision to leave the TAD. City of Atlanta representatives and Invest Atlanta officials told the board they were open to negotiations such as pilot payments or other arrangements that could protect county revenue while preserving funding for affordable housing projects. Invest Atlanta staff said the TAD has supported hundreds of projects and thousands of housing units over its lifetime; county officials asked for detailed, audited documentation of outstanding bond obligations and available cash before acting.

On the millage question, county officials said the July 9 meeting included an open public hearing (item 25-05-11) but that a final decision on a tax rate would come at a later meeting after a midyear budget review and other numbers were available. Several commissioners said the advertised ceiling gave the county flexibility to respond if cost pressures and court-ordered obligations for the jail require additional revenue; others warned any increase must be modest and targeted.

The meeting underscored a policy tension facing the board: balancing urgent operating and court-mandated needs, the capital demands of county facilities and infrastructure, and the political and social consequences of higher property taxes for long-time residents.

Votes at a glance: the board did not adopt a final millage rate on July 9. The meeting included multiple other formal votes (see separate "Votes at a glance" article for a full list of outcomes recorded during the session).