Fulton County keeps millage rate at 8.87 after hours of public comment; commissioners hear midyear budget review and consent‑decree costs

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday voted to set the county's 2025 general‑fund millage rate at 8.87 mills after a lengthy public hearing in which dozens of residents urged commissioners not to raise property taxes.

The vote followed a midyear budget review from county finance staff showing stronger-than-anticipated receipts in sales and public utility taxes and an estimated $54 million underrun in operating spending; together, the office projected roughly $69 million in additional year‑end fund balance under the current 8.87 millage projection. The board adopted the millage on a 6–1 vote.

Why it matters: Commissioners said they face competing fiscal pressures — most immediately a federal consent decree stemming from conditions in the county jail — while many residents argued an increase would push seniors and other households out of the county. County staff said some of the consent‑decree costs are not yet fully quantified and will be a moving target through the rest of 2025.

Budget review and the consent decree County Chief Financial Officer presented a midyear review showing that fiscal 2025 revenue is running above the budgeted plan chiefly because of stronger local option sales tax receipts and a larger final public utility tax billing than was available when the budget was set. The office projected roughly $930 million in total revenue at the adopted millage (8.87 mills) and about $1.0 billion if the county adopted a proposed 9.87 millage.

On the spending side the county projects about $936 million in general‑fund expenditures, roughly $54 million less than the adopted budget — driven largely by a running…