Fulton County sets 2025 general fund millage at 8.87 after hours of public opposition

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to set the 2025 general fund millage rate at 8.87 mills after a long public comment period in which hundreds of residents urged the board not to increase property taxes.

The vote came after a midyear budget review showed revenues running ahead of plan and an expenditure underrun that left more funds available this year than were assumed when the budget was adopted. Commissioners who opposed an immediate increase said longer-term pressures — including a federal consent decree on the county jail, planned new judicial positions and rising benefits costs — could still require future tax action.

Why it matters: The millage rate determines how much property owners pay to the county. A higher rate would add to bills already rising because of higher assessed values; many residents and municipal leaders told commissioners a higher rate would push households and businesses to other counties.

Board action and context The board set the general fund rate at 8.87 mills. The full tax bill for a given homeowner will also include a small general obligation bond millage (0.169 mills) and, where applicable, the Fulton Industrial District millage (rollback rate referenced for that district). The board discussed, but did not adopt, a higher advertised ceiling that had been placed on the agenda earlier in June.

Midyear review highlights County finance staff told commissioners the year-to-date pattern of receipts and spending produces a more favorable 2025 picture than the assumptions used to adopt the budget in January: - Under the adopted 8.87-mill rate, staff projected roughly $930 million in total revenue for 2025 and an estimated year-end general fund balance of about $234 million. - Under a 9.87-mill scenario the same spending assumptions would have produced roughly $1.00 billion in revenue and an end-of-year balance of about $313 million. - On the expenditure side, departments are collectively underspending the adopted budget; finance reported about a $54 million underrun versus budget assumptions, driven largely by personnel vacancy savings and timing of contract and program expenses.

Those projections were presented as contingent and subject to appeals, collection performance, and finalization of costs related to the county jail consent decree and other pressures.

Public comment: breadth and themes Hundreds of residents participated in in-person and Zoom public comment. Speakers included state and municipal officials and a wide range of Fulton residents. Common themes: - Opposition to any millage increase while many homeowners already face steep assessed-value-driven tax bills. - Requests that the county use reserves, enforce fair commercial assessment, or reallocate existing spending rather than raise property taxes. - Concerns about impacts on seniors and fixed-income households.

Representative Deborah Silcox (Georgia House of Representatives) told the board her earlier bill limiting property tax increases should guide local policy and warned against a one-time jump: “This decision flies in the face of that bill to raise the millage rate to 12.49.” Roswell City Council member Lee Hills urged commissioners to reject the proposed increase for his city’s residents, saying it would exacerbate out-migration and added financial strain. Resident Maria Gaudio told the board her personal property tax bill has doubled in two years and called a proposed increase “totally unnecessary.”

Commissioner comments and next steps Commissioners debated competing priorities. Several commissioners said the midyear numbers give them comfort that an increase is not required this year; others warned that a range of structural and court-driven costs (notably items related to the federal consent decree over jail conditions) will require multi-year planning and may create pressure for revenue increases in future budgets.

The board directed staff to continue vetting costs associated with the consent decree, systemically review the assessor's commercial property valuations (a topic raised repeatedly by public speakers), and to return with further budget information ahead of next year’s planning cycle.

Votes at a glance (key approvals and outcomes from the Aug. 6 meeting) - 2025 general fund millage rate (8.87 mills): Motion to adopt moved by Commissioner Khadija Abdul Rahman, seconded by Commissioner Bridget Thorne. Vote: approved, 6 yeas, 1 nay. - Adoption of the consent agenda (as amended): approved, 5 yeas, 0 nays. - Midyear budget review presented (informational); staff projected $930M revenue at 8.87 and $1.00B at 9.87; expenditure underrun ~ $54M (informational action: no vote required to present). - Childcare pilot benefit program (pilot to reimburse up to $500/month for up to 100 eligible County employees; special-needs exception added to 10-mile radius): approved unanimously; staff to implement an application window and lottery if necessary. - Authorization to increase spending authority for RiskConnect software (risk management) by $25,000: approved unanimously. - Public use rate for county EV charging stations: approved unanimously. - Cooperative purchase for CGI AMS cloud upgrade testing resources (IT) up to $450,000: approved 6–0. - Services tied to Lead and Copper Rule Revision (public works) up to $1,451,000: approved unanimously. - Atlanta–Fulton Water Resources Commission contract correction: approved unanimously. - Guaranteed maximum price for new pump station and main pump lines serving South Fulton (construction) up to $20,332,906: approved unanimously. - Intergovernmental agreements for water-main relocations with Roswell and Milton (specific amounts noted on agenda): approved unanimously. - Resolution adopting the 2045 comprehensive plan for unincorporated Fulton County: approved unanimously. - Ordinance amending county code decorum fines: approved (vote: 5 yeas, 1 nay); commissioners debated proportionality and recent first use of the penalty.

Executive-session and settlement actions (summary of formal votes recorded after executive session) - Authorization to retain outside counsel/representation for matters listed in executive session items 1–3: approved (vote reported as 5 yeas, 0 nays). - Settlement authority for Purdue Pharma opioid settlement (item 5): approved (5–0). - Additional settlement authorities (items 6 and 7): approved (5–0 for each). - Contract with The Walls Group for recruitment services, not to exceed $788,000 through 12/31/2025: approved (5–0). - Employment contract with Richard Anderson, County Manager, four-year term at an annual salary of $371,000: approved (5–0).

Failed and notable non-adopted items - Resolution urging the release of hostages and calling for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Israel and Gaza: motion failed (vote reported as: 3 yeas, 2 abstentions).

What to expect next Staff will return with additional budget soundings tied to jail consent-decree compliance and other identified pressures; commissioners indicated interest in a more multi-year financial planning framework to model large capital and operational needs. The county also signaled it will explore use of outside counsel for high-value commercial assessment appeals — a topic the board agreed to consider further (planned for follow-up in executive session).

Closing note The decision to hold the millage at 8.87 this year ended the immediate debate, but commissioners and staff emphasized that several multi-year liabilities remain. Residents who addressed the board during public comment said they would monitor future budget work closely and raise the issue again in the 2026 budget cycle.