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Marietta council affirms unchanged millage rate after public hearings; taxpayers to see no millage increase
Summary
The Marietta City Council held required millage hearings and approved the city’s millage rate with no increase; officials said required notifications were posted and that some bill language will reflect the school board's exemption decision.
The Marietta City Council voted to approve the city's millage rate after completing the required public hearings, with officials saying the city will not raise the millage and that property owners should not expect a tax rate increase.
City officials told the council they conducted three required millage hearings (two on July 2 and a final hearing the morning of the council meeting) and handled several phone and email inquiries about whether the rate would increase. Staff said the millage rate will remain the same "across the board," including cemetery and bond components, and that the city met statutory hearing and advertising requirements.
The hearings were held to give residents an opportunity to comment on the property tax rate the city will use to produce bills later this year. City staff said the only substantive questions they received asked whether the rate was increasing and how that would affect individual bills; staff said they responded that the city had not proposed an increase and that the rate remains unchanged.
The council moved to approve the millage rate after confirming there was no proposal to increase it. During the public comment period, one resident, Nicole Tirado, told the council she was concerned about short public-notice timelines and urged improved outreach and coordination between the city and the Marietta City Schools so that all residents receive clear notifications about tax and budget choices.
City staff said the tax-bill language will include a state-required notice about the school board's decision not to implement an exemption, and that they had handled the inquiries they received.
Council action: the council approved the millage rate as presented; no increase was proposed or adopted.
Why it matters: the millage rate determines city property tax revenues and affects homeowners' bills; maintaining the rate avoids an immediate tax increase but residents said they want clearer, broader notice when schools or other authorities change related decisions.
Looking ahead: staff will proceed with billing under the approved rate and will include state-required verbiage on bills about the school board's exemption decision.
