A referendum on the ballot in Brookhaven will determine how the city finances government services like police.
When the city formed in 2013, Brookhaven set a policy to pay for services with two revenues streams: property tax and millage.
According to the city’s website, the cost of government services has increased to the point that expenses are exceeding revenues.
“Freezing our inflationary values of property is not a sustainable thing for long term fiscal stability,” said Deputy City Manager Steve Chapman at the Oct. 24 Brookhaven City Council meeting.
Brookhaven has maintained a millage rate of 2.74 mills since 2015. Homeowners who have lived in Brookhaven for 10 years are being taxed at the 2013 property value, also referred to as the homestead exemption freeze.
Now Brookhaven is asking residents to vote on ending the homestead freeze, which will affect homeowners whose property has increased in value more than 75% above the purchase price.
About 79% of homesteaded properties would not be affected by the legislation; about 21% would be affected, Chapman said.
The city was left with several options that were discussed by the Charter Review committee in 2022. The amount of the assessed value that is frozen, or not taxed for procurement purposes, was about $700 million in 2022. Twenty percent of the residential valuation of the city of Brookhaven is not taxed at all, said City Manager Christian Sigman.
“More and more valuation is being exempted from taxation, which is just not sustainable when this is our largest revenue source,” Sigman said.
Early voting is taking place in Brookhaven at Lynwood Recreation Center until Nov. 2. Election Day is Nov. 7, and the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For information about where to vote, visit the Secretary of State’s website.
