Fulton Commission finally approves property tax millage rate

The Fulton County Commission approved the staff’s proposed millage rate of 8.87 mills at its Wednesday meeting after a two week delay.

Millage rate adoption requires at least four commissioners’ votes in favor, but Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. was absent from the previous vote . He cast his vote Wednesday remotely because he was traveling outside the county.

Commissioner Bob Ellis renewed his proposal to lower the millage rate to 8.80, which he said would be a difference of approximately $6 million in revenue for the general fund. Staff confirmed that $10 million in interest earnings from federal ARPA funds could be transferred to the general fund.

Ellis also reminded the board that homeowners will not get property relief from the state like in years past. He said expenses for county property owners are going up no matter what Fulton County did with its millage rate.

Commissioner Bridget Thorne said she saw a lot of waste in the county.

“I see we have a district attorney who’s hired her boyfriend and paid $750,000 of our taxpayers’ money, as well as decided that it was a priority to hire her campaign person, hire a content media manager to manage her likes and dislikes and how her campaign is going while she’s pursuing these high profile cases,” Thorne said.

Thorne said she heard District Attorney Fani Willis had a makeup studio put in her office and redid the lighting in her office to look good on TV.

“And all of this is on the backs of taxpayers,” she said.

The motion by Ellis was defeated on a 3-4 vote. The commission then voted 4-3 to approve the staff-suggested 8.87 mills rate.

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