Roswell raises property taxes after months of pushback

Roswell raised its property tax rate Monday night, but by far less than the city originally proposed after weeks of public opposition.

The City Council voted 4-2 to set the 2026 millage rate at 5.232 mills, up from 4.949 mills last year. That amounts to an increase of about 5.7% in the overall tax rate.

The final rate was also substantially lower than the 5.9 mills council members had advanced earlier this month and the 7.732-mill rate the city initially advertised.

The decision capped a weeks-long fight that began in early September with the 7.732-mill proposal and ended with a packed council chamber, 21 public speakers and a council divided over how much money the city needed.

What the rate means for homeowners

Under the 5.232-mill rate, a Roswell home valued at $575,000 would generate about $1,203 in city property taxes before exemptions, assuming the standard 40% assessed value.

That is about $65 more than the roughly $1,138 generated by the same value at last year’s 4.949-mill rate.

The new rate has two components: 4.049 mills for city operations and 1.183 mills for debt service.

The council did not increase the city’s maintenance and operations rate. Instead, the increase comes from the debt-service portion, which rose from 0.900 mills last year to 1.183 mills this year.

For a $575,000 home, about $272 of the city tax bill would go toward debt service for voter-approved bonds that have funded projects including a new Public Safety Headquarters, an E-911 center, a downtown parking deck and parks projects.

The adopted 5.232-mill rate is also slightly below Roswell’s 2026 rollback rate of 5.288 mills. The rollback rate is the rate calculated to generate the same amount of property tax revenue as the previous year from the existing tax digest, excluding new growth.

How the city got here

Roswell initially advertised a maximum rate of 7.732 mills in early September.

That proposal drew immediate opposition. Residents packed the Sept. 14 public hearing, where 34 speakers challenged the size of the proposed increase, the timing and the city’s spending priorities.

At that meeting, Council Member Allen Sells proposed a rate of 5.232 mills. His proposal failed.

Council Member Jennifer Phillippi then proposed 5.9 mills. The council voted 4-2 to advance that rate to the next stage of the process, but that vote did not establish the final millage rate.

At the hearing, former Mayor Jere Wood, who said he has lived in Roswell for 77 years and spent 20 years in elected office, told the council the message from residents was clear.

“I understand staff has told you that you need a 56% tax increase, but now it’s time to listen to the citizens, and they’ve told you no,” Wood said. “That’s who you work for. You’re not working for staff.”

The city also held a town hall Sept. 16 at Eagles Nest Church and another public hearing Sept. 21 before Monday’s final vote.

Residents push back at final hearing

Twenty-one residents signed up to speak Monday. The overwhelming majority opposed a higher tax rate, arguing the city was projecting a $5 million budget surplus for 2026 and held tens of millions of dollars in reserves.

Several residents also raised concerns about the city’s debt load.

Mayor Mary Robichaux asked Finance Director Adam Natan to detail Roswell’s outstanding obligations. He said the city owes about $225 million in principal on equipment and property financing, general obligation bonds, loans, promissory notes and Public Facilities Authority revenue bonds, with another $147.6 million in remaining interest.

Robichaux also addressed the city’s fiscal calendar, explaining that the city had to advertise a maximum proposed rate before receiving final information from Fulton County — a sequence that drew criticism from residents who said the initial proposal came with little warning.

Council debate

Before the vote, Sells walked through five years of audited financial statements, arguing the city had consistently spent within budget and that the 2026 budget did not require an increase in the maintenance and operations rate.

“The 2026 budget, it’s in the barn. It’s done. It’s over,” Sells said. “2027 is where the conversation needs to start.”

Sells ultimately moved to adopt a 4.049-mill maintenance and operations rate and a 1.183-mill debt-service rate, for a total of 5.232 mills.

That motion passed 4-2.

Council Member Sarah Beeson offered a detailed breakdown during the discussion of capital expenses facing the city, including legally obligated payments, fire department transition costs, building security upgrades and health insurance increases.

Beeson also pushed back on the idea that the city’s reserves were freely available to spend, noting that the required 25% reserve cannot be tapped except under specific circumstances.

Phillippi, who had proposed the 5.9-mill rate at the Sept. 14 meeting, thanked residents and staff for their engagement and said the council would face equally difficult decisions during the upcoming 2027 budget process.

“Nobody is trying to stick it to you,” Phillippi said. “Everyone here is really trying to do their best.”

Council Member Chris Zack said the council needed a clearer plan for capital spending and bond usage as it heads into budget season.

“At the end of the day, really the conversation is tax increase against service,” Zack said. “And that is why I would prefer talking about these items within the 2027 budget.”

What comes next

Roswell’s 2027 budget process is scheduled to move into its next phase in October, with a budget presentation scheduled for Oct. 13, first reading Oct. 26 and final consideration Nov. 9.

Property tax bills are expected to be mailed by the end of October.