Clayton County residents pushing back on 31% property tax hike

A packed house of angry Clayton County residents urged leaders Tuesday evening to ditch a plan to increase property taxes by 31%.

During a standing room only meeting of the county commission, residents said they are tapped out by higher gas, food, insurance and utility costs and that bankrolling more Clayton government spending shouldn’t happen this year.

“I implore you to maintain the current millage rate,” Jonesboro resident Valerie Zanders told the board. “Home values are increasing so you are already generating significantly more revenue than you previously had. Tighten your belts as I have already tightened mine.”

Clayton resident Freddie Edenfield agreed. “Citizens are struggling with the basics: food, clothing, shelter,” he said. “They’ve got limited resources. They, and I, are not your ATM.”

At issue: Clayton leaders say they need to raise property taxes to make up for a projected $99 million shortfall in the $384 million general fund budget that county department heads say they will need to operate in fiscal 2025.

The county is proposing a millage rate increase from 16 mills to 18.5 mills — which would be a $261 tax increase for a home valued at $250,000, Clayton Deputy Chief Financial Officer Angela Jackson said.

The pushback comes as Clayton residents, both at Tuesday’s commission meeting and during a public hearing about the tax increase earlier in the day, complained they are seeing very little benefit from the tax dollars.

To dine at non-fast food restaurants, they have to cross county lines into neighboring Henry or Fayette, the Clayton residents said. The county’s retail landscape is overrun with discount and beauty supply stores and most new jobs are in distribution centers.

“We’ve got too many Dollar Stores, we’ve got too many fast-food restaurants,” said Conley resident Yvonne Braswell. “We have more than enough pitiful stores.”

Others said the increased costs will be a burden on the area’s seniors who are already living paycheck to paycheck and could make Clayton — arguably the most affordable county in metro Atlanta — out of reach for some people.

Barbara Evans said the property tax increase could make her and her husband, John, rethink living in Clayton after 31 years in the community.

“It’s going to be rough,” she said.

The county will hold two more public hearings on the property taxes, July 24 and Aug. 6.

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