Roswell raises property taxes nearly 19% after months of pushback

ROSWELL — Roswell homeowners will see a higher city property tax bill this year after the City Council voted Monday night to set the 2026 millage rate at 5.9 mills — a nearly 19% increase over last year’s combined rate of 4.949 mills.

The vote was 4 to 2, with Council Members Jennifer Phillippi, Sarah Beeson, Eren Brumley and Chris Zack in favor. Council Members Christine Hall and Allen Sells voted against it, pushing instead for a lower rate of 5.232 mills.

The decision capped a weeks-long fight that began in early September when the city first proposed a rate of 7.732 mills — an increase of about 56% — and ended with a packed council chamber, 21 public speakers, and a council divided over how much residents should pay and when.

What the rate means for homeowners

Under the 5.9-mill rate, a Roswell homeowner with a house valued at $575,000 would pay about $1,357 in city property taxes before exemptions, according to Finance Director Adam Natan. About $272 of that goes toward repaying voter-approved bonds from 2022 that funded a new Public Safety Headquarters, an E-911 center, a parking deck and parks projects.

The rate has two components: 4.717 mills for city operations and capital improvements, and 1.183 mills for debt service. Roswell’s property tax rate had remained below 5.5 mills for more than a decade before this vote.

One mill generates about $7.28 million in tax revenue for the city.

How the city got here

The original 7.732-mill proposal drew immediate and intense opposition when it was announced in early September. Residents packed a Sept. 14 public hearing, where 34 speakers lined up to challenge the math, the timing and the city’s spending priorities. The backlash was swift enough that the council voted that night to advance a lower first-reading rate of 5.9 mills instead.

At that first 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 a second public hearing Sept. 21 before Monday’s final vote.

What is the Millage Rate?: The millage rate is your property tax rate. Your city, county, and school system all set a millage rate. That combined number becomes your overall property tax rate. One mill represents $1 of tax on every $1,000 of taxable property.

Residents push back at final hearing

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

Several residents raised the city’s debt load. Mayor Mary Robichaux asked 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 state law required the city to advertise the highest possible rate before receiving the final Fulton County tax digest — a sequence that drew criticism from residents who said the announcement came with little warning.

Council debate

Before the vote, Council Member Allen 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 a millage increase.

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

Council Member Sarah Beeson offered a detailed breakdown of how she arrived at the 5.9-mill figure, walking through a list of capital expenditures and explaining which items she funded and which she cut. She said the list included legally obligated payments, fire department transition costs, building security upgrades and health insurance increases — items she argued could not simply be deferred.

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.

Council Member Jennifer Phillippi, who first proposed the 5.9-mill compromise at the Sept. 14 hearing, thanked residents and staff for their engagement and said the council would face equally difficult decisions in 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 vote was, in his view, a procedural one, and called on the council to develop a clear 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

Tax bills are expected to be mailed by the end of October, with payment due 60 days after mailing. The 2027 budget process is scheduled to begin in mid-October.