The Brookhaven City Council adopted a millage rate of 2.74 mills, the same rate set since 2015, which was forecast to bring in $13.55 million in property tax revenues.
The council voted on the millage rate after holding morning and evening public hearings on June 26.
Only two council members and Mayor John Park attended the public hearings. Councilmembers Michael Diaz and John Funny attended in the morning with Park. The mayor, Diaz and Councilmember Madeline Simmons attended in the evening.
Once the presentations were completed, the meeting was recessed for more than half an hour until Funny arrived. He apologized for being late due to a work commitment and votes on all the agenda items were taken, including the millage rate. Councilmember Jennifer Owens was absent from the meetings.
Finance Director Oscar Medina told the council that the recently received tax digest showed that the millage rate would bring in $13.06 million, or $488,683 less than the FY2024 budget forecast.
The city’s real property digest includes $4.3 billion in residential property (66 percent), and $2.2 billion in commercial property (34 percent). The $34 million in industrial property is a small portion of the digest. These amounts represent the taxable assessed value, which is 40 percent of the appraised value, according to Medina’s presentation.
The city had real growth to its property digest of $131 million. Reassessments added $265 million to the digest.
The General Obligation Bond millage was set at 0.47 mills to produce $2.24 million in revenue. The city is required to levy only enough to generate the revenue needed to service its debt.
In November 2018 city residents approved a ballot item allowing the borrowing of up to $40 million for park improvements. In January 2019, the city council approved the issuance of $38.9 million in General Obligation Debt.
The millage rate set for the Special Taxing District in the I-85, North Druid Hills area will produce $1.64 million in revenue for infrastructure and services in the taxing district. The revenue funds police, code enforcement, and infrastructure.
The 6.45 millage rate set by the council was the same as it has been since 2016.
The millage rate for the LaVista Park Special District was set at zero because it has completed its policy goal to fund infrastructure in the area. The special district was created under Brookhaven’s annexation policy to fund the infrastructure the neighborhood needed.
Millage rates
- 2.74 – FY 2024 General Fund
- 0.47 mills – General Obligation Bonds
- 6.450 mills – Special Tax District
- 4.000 mills – Special Service District
- 0.000 mills – LaVista Park Special District