City Council on Monday night approved the lowest millage rate in Milton’s history, balancing its desire to solidly fund quality City operations and vital projects while lessening the financial impact on taxpayers.

The Council approved a maintenance and operating (M&O) rate of 4.193 mills, which is a 4.47% decrease from what it was last year. This is significantly below any rate ever adopted by any Milton City Council, with it being at 4.731 mills for all but four other years (2018 when it was 4.390, 2022 at 4.469, and 4.389 over the past two years). 

“I think we provide exceptional service,” Mayor Peyton Jamison said of the City’s government. “And I think our tax dollars go further here than anywhere else.”

One mill equates to every $1,000 of assessed property value. A person’s M&O taxes are calculated by multiplying the millage rate by 40% of a property’s assessed “fair market” value. Exemptions can markedly reduce what someone pays in City property taxes; to learn more about those exemptions, visit www.miltonga.gov/Exemptions.

The City anticipates bringing in just over $17.7 million with the adopted millage rate. The owner of a property with a $900,000 fair market value and a $15,000 floating homestead exemption (excluding other additional potential exemptions) generally will pay what works out to $3.96 daily in property taxes for all City services, with the highest percentage going toward public safety.

To view Deputy City Manager Bernadette Harvill’s millage rate presentation – which, among other things, compares Milton with nearby cities, shows what tax dollars fund, and guides people through calculating how to calculate their municipal tax bill – go to https://www.miltonga.gov/home/showdocument?id=8601.

The Council also voted Monday on a 0.310 Greenspace Bond Millage Rate that covers principal and interest related to the voter-approved $25 million bond to preserve properties as greenspace.

Both millage rates were adopted unanimously, including by Councilmember Doug Hene who cast his vote virtually via Zoom.

DEPARTMENT-BY-DEPARTMENT BREAKDOWN OF DRAFT FY26 BUDGET

This vote occurred during a Special Called Meeting that immediately followed a Work Session.

That Work Session began with a presentation related to the City’s impact fee program. Local governments can collect impact fees from those creating new developments and use those funds to pay for upgrades to bridges, roads, parks, and government buildings.

Principal Planner Shubha Jangam explained Monday how governments that bring in impact fees must produce, transmit, and get state and regional approval for their Capital Improvement Element (CIE) Annual Update – something Milton has done every year since 2015. This Annual Update has details on impact fee-related collections, expenditures, and the fund balance (as of September 30, 2024, in the case of Milton’s next CIE Annual Update).

A Public Hearing on Milton’s CIE Annual Update will occur at the City Council’s August 18 meeting. Elected officials are set vote then on transmitting this document to the State of Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs for review. After its approval, the City Council must adopt the final version by the end of October.

Harvill then presented on the City government’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which will run from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. This was the third such presentation on this topic ahead of a Public Hearing at the September 3 City Council meeting, possible workshop on September 8, and final Public Hearing with an expected vote on September 15.

The Fiscal Year 2026 Draft Proposed Budget can be seen HERE: https://www.miltonga.gov/home/showdocument?id=8611.

Overall revenues for the next fiscal year are expected to be about 3% higher than the current one, noted Harvill. She went through projections for various revenue sources before going department-by-department through proposed FY26 expenditures. Total expenditures in the new draft budget are slightly below (.7%) those in the amended Fiscal Year 2025 budget.

Highlighted year-over-year differences include:

• Adjustments to salaries citywide based off a widely accepted national inflation measure
• Conducting Milton’s National Community Survey in 2026, which happens every other year
• The reorganization of some departments, such as Finance, Information Services, and Human Resources
• Repairs at Fire Station 41, which is located at the intersection of Arnold Mill Road and New Providence Road
• Funding for disability accessibility improvements as recommended by the ongoing Safety in Action initiative
• Adding two IT positions, which should save the City money compared to going through a contractor for the same services
• Hiring two more School Liaison Officers to expand Milton Police Department’s current successful collaboration with local schools

After Harvill’s presentation, Councilmember Carol Cookerly commended the talented people driving the City’s sound, innovative operation and the many positive impacts they make on the Milton community.

The City Council is next scheduled to convene for a Regular Meeting on Monday, August 18.