Fulton County’s property tax rate will remain unchanged for the fifth consecutive year, after the board of commissioners voted at its Oct. 7 meeting to keep the general fund rate steady at 8.87 mills.
Chairman Robb Pitts, who will be leaving office in January after losing June’s Democratic primary runoff, said he applauds his colleagues for joining him and voting to maintain the millage rate.
“Now is not the time for a tax increase,” Pitts said. “Maintaining the current tax rate avoids placing a painful burden on the most vulnerable members of our community while fully funding the services we all enjoy and rely upon.”
Flat rate, technical increase
Like all taxing jurisdictions in Georgia, the county commission held three public hearings to receive community input prior to setting the annual millage rate, as required by state law.
Temporary tax bills were issued for Fulton County earlier this year with a due date of Oct. 15. Since the millage rate remains unchanged, the county’s announcement says no additional bills will be issued.
The county advertised a 0.54% tax increase over the rollback millage rate of 8.82 mills due to higher property reassessments. The rollback rate is calculated once reassessments are factored in to bring in the same revenue as last year.
Property taxes are the primary source of revenue for Fulton County and pay for a wide range of constituent services, including healthcare, senior care, justice and public safety, elections, local artists and nonprofits, and libraries.
The county’s annual budget, which will be approved in January after at least three new commissioners take office, funds partnerships with Grady Health System and Morehouse School of Medicine, among behavioral and mental health services.
The board of commissioners also allocates funding to five courts, the district attorney, solicitor general, public defender, and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, including all jail facilities.
Fulton County offers many property tax relief measures for residents, including two floating homestead exemptions, exclusions for seniors, and other special populations. Its millage rate declined steadily from 10.5 mills in 2015 to 8.87 mills in 2022, a net decrease of 16%.
School district nearing hike
The Fulton County Board of Education has tentatively adopted a 2026 millage rate of 18.08 mills, a full mill above last year’s 17.08. It’s the first time in seven years the district has sought to raise its tax rate.
A new homestead exemption on school district taxes allows owners aged 65 and older to exempt 25% of their property’s assessed value. Fulton County residents aged 70 and older get 50% off the assessed value.
According to Fulton County Schools’ announcement, the proposed increase would help reduce reliance on reserves to cover ongoing expenses or eliminate its budget deficit. In June, the school board adopted the 2026-27 budget, totaling about $2.3 billion across all funds, with a deficit of more than $50 million.
The proposed rate sits 0.541 mills above the rollback rate of 17.54 mills, the rate that would bring in the same revenue as last year once reassessments are factored in. Under Georgia law, that gap results in a 3.08% tax increase.
For owners of a $425,000 home, the change would add about $90 to their annual school tax bill.
School officials say the increase is needed to keep the district’s required financial reserves intact and to close budget deficits driven by inflation and rising healthcare costs.
After two public hearings on Oct. 13, the Fulton County School Board will hold a final hearing on Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. at the South Learning Center, 4025 Flat Shoals Road in Union City.
