City Council and citizens got their third in-depth look Monday night at Milton’s prospective budget for Fiscal Year 2027, which should take effect at the start of October.

As she’s done at two other recent meetings, Deputy City Manager Bernadette Harvill gave a detailed presentation on August 3 while welcoming Council’s questions and feedback. She noted three factors that could affect City finances going forward:

1. The millage rate, which will be subject to one or more hearings later (with property tax revenues potentially affected by Fulton County’s still-to-be finalized tax digest)
2. Whether or not voters in November approve another round of TSPLOST to fund future transportation-related initiatives
3. Revising City employees’ salaries in line with a market study assessing how they measure up relative to those in other jurisdictions 

Harvill compared Milton with other North Fulton cities when it comes to average revenues, debt, and expenditures over time. On the latter, she pointed out, Milton historically has had among the lowest per capita spending in North Fulton.

Monday’s presentation featured detailed tables showing actual expenditures from Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025, amended Fiscal Year 2026 figures, and what’s proposed for Fiscal Year 2027. Harvill provided an overall snapshot before proceeding category by category, explaining projected increases and decreases along the way. She mentioned one initiative – hiring a new GIS Technician – that should save the City money in the long run.

Her detailed presentation, including numerous insightful charts, can be viewed at www.miltonga.gov/FY27DraftBudgetWorkshop.

The City’s FY27 budget proposal will come before the Council again in September, with a final adoption vote expected at that month’s final meeting.

GILKER APPOINTED TO EQUESTRIAN COMMITTEE

Prior to Harvill’s presentation, Monday’s meeting began with a pair of general public comments and the Council’s unanimous approval of the Consent Agenda. This included agreements between the City and:

• Fulton County School to formalize goals, expectations, and evaluation criteria for local high school students who intern with the City of Milton
• ABFortner to work with City officials to create an urban design master plan specifically for South Deerfield Parkway and some Highway 9 parcels as part of a framework that coordinates how properties can best mesh together in line with the community’s vision for this area
• DCBC to stabilize portions of Gunston Hill Circle to address subsurface voids and localized ground settlement that could pose safety concerns for motorists and residents
• Kimley-Horn and Associates to prepare a repair analysis report detailing existing deficiencies in a Thompson Road bridge with a weight limit restriction, as well as specifying repairs that could increase the bridge’s load capacity
• Prime Contractors to undertake structural improvements to stabilize the historic McConnell-Chadwick House so that this building remains structurally sound and viable for future restoration

Within the same Consent Agenda, the City officially accepted a $5,000 grant to help offset the McConnell-Chadwick House work. A subscription giving City staff access to the CoStar web-based commercial real estate information platform was part of the Consent Agenda as well.

Immediately after this vote, Kathy Gilker became the newest member of the Milton Equestrian Committee. This followed her nomination by Councilmember Phil Cranmer, who described Gilker as an accomplished horsewoman with over 50 years of experience riding, training, breeding, raising, and showing a wide variety of horses and in numerous equestrian disciplines.

“Kathy’s lifetime of experience, practical knowledge and unwavering dedication … make her an exceptional candidate for the Equestrian Committee,” Cranmer said.

SUMMER INTERNS PRESENT ON VALUABLE PROJECTS

For nine weeks, Jayda Braithwaite and Drew Ghent have been immersed in Milton’s Comprehensive Summer Internship program and, in so doing, become valuable members of the City’s team. On Monday – their final day on the job – the two Milton residents shared what they’ve done and what they’ve learned with the Council. 

Milton proudly offers a hands-on summer intern program in which two college students annually spend time with every department and tackle important projects. For Braithwaite and Ghent, those projects included:

• Helping manage Red, White, and YOU! – the City’s family-friendly Independence Day celebration
• Developing a framework, including SOPs, for the Parks and Recreation Operations Manual
• Creating the foundation for interactive maps showcasing restaurants, shops, activities, and other points of interest that might appeal to locals and visitors
• Devising a system for scoring the hundreds of applicants to be vendors at Crabapple Fest
• Analyzing the quality and conducting research on thermoplastic striping on speed tables
• Designing printed door hangers for Public Works to bring to residences in the vicinity of key projects

After their presentation, an impressed Mayor Jamison spoke optimistically about Ghent and Braithwaite’s futures while reflecting on his own interactions with both this summer.

“I love it that you always have a smile on your face, (and) you represent Milton well,” he said. “We appreciate it.”

DISCUSSION OF DEERFIELD-FOCUSED DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

The Council also signaled support Monday night for Milton to explore activating a flexible, action-oriented authority to help manage development in Deerfield in alignment with the community’s vision.

No official votes were taken at the meeting, nor are there details yet on how exactly such a Deerfield-focused development authority would be set up, operate, and who might be on it. Still, after a presentation led to insightful questions and healthy discussions, the Council offered direction for City staff to look further into having such a development authority. 

Deputy Public Works Director Tracie Wildes noted that extensive engagement in recent years culminated in the formation of a compelling, community-driven, long-term vision to make Deerfield a more dynamic, vibrant, cohesive destination for businesses and citizens alike. (For more, visit www.miltonga.gov/Deerfield.) But the next steps require a different approach.

“With that vision, how do we implement it? How do we actually get there?” Wildes asked rhetorically. 

A development authority is one tool to help address such questions. While technically an independent agency, City Attorney Ken Jarrard said the City could ensure the authority has “a very limited charge and a very limited, but important vision.” He pointed out possible built-in restraints like control over appointments, how and how much staff supports it, and the ability to deactivate it. 

Mayor Peyton Jamison noted that, while there has been positive activity and interest of late in Deerfield, these progressions have been largely piecemeal with developers and other parties taking the lead. A development authority “is a way to take control back,” he said. 

Councilmember Carol Cookerly added, “If we don’t do this, we’re going to arrive at mediocrity through fragmentation.  … I don’t want it to be Destination Mediocrity.” 

Earlier in the same meeting, the Council acted to begin creating a master plan focused on the South Deerfield Parkway area and certain Highway 9 parcels. As that comes together, City staff will look into how a Deerfield development authority might function and serve Milton while soliciting the Council’s continued feedback.

DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW

The night’s final agenda item related to the City’s working draft of its 2026 Comprehensive Plan Update.

State law requires Milton (like with other municipalities) to adopt an updated five-year plan by the end of October. Before then, a draft must be submitted to Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs for review. This agency checks to ensure the document has the proper framework and meets the State’s minimum standards. 

John Tuley, who works for Kimley-Horn on the City’s project team, outlined and praised the extensive, above-and-beyond public engagement that has informed this draft document over the last seven months. He touched on key new elements of the Plan Update, such as incorporating elements of previously approved plans as well as current market conditions. 

The draft Plan Update also features a Short-Term Work Program, which is a list of priority projects to potentially tackle over the next five years. According to Tuley, those projects in the latest draft reflect the community’s desire to preserve rural character, expand public destinations, strengthen economic development, improve connectivity, enhance Milton’s identity, and advance sustainability. 

While the Council did vote to submit the working draft for State review, the document is by no means complete. It’s subject to revisions over the next two months, including additions, subtractions, and editing. The City Council, committees, and citizens can share their own thoughts during public meetings as well as via the project’s webpage, which can be seen at www.miltonga.gov/2026CompPlanUpdate.

The City Council’s next Regular Meeting is slated for August 17.