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Residents press council on FY2027 budget, annexation and grant use
Summary
During the FY2027 budget discussion, residents questioned why property taxes were proposed to rise while budgeted revenues appeared lower and flagged problems with grant services reaching unincorporated residents; the council acknowledged the concerns and asked staff to follow up.
Lithonia
Public comment during the council27s July 6 meeting raised questions about the proposed fiscal 2027 budget and the reach of city grant-funded services.
Kimberly Davis, a long-term resident who identified her address as Lithonia but noted she lives in an unincorporated pocket of DeKalb County, asked why students receiving services under a grant appeared to live outside city limits and whether that affects eligibility and enforcement. She also pointed out that the FY2027 draft budget posted for council review showed revenues and expenditures lower than the prior year while the property tax rate was proposed to increase; she asked for clarification about the discrepancy.
Davis congratulated the city on receiving what she said was a $1.2 million "Protect Our Streets" grant but asked staff to explain how grant-funded programs and associated beneficiaries are being counted and whether annexation plans would change service coverage. The council said staff would follow up and confirm whether grant funding and the populations served are appropriately aligned with city boundaries.
No formal budget votes were recorded at the meeting. Council directed staff to accept public input, provide clarification on the revenue and tax-rate calculations, and supply a clearer accounting of grant-funded services and their beneficiaries ahead of any budget adoption.
