(UPDATE) Atlanta City Council OK’s property tax hike, might reconsider
June 29, 2009 at 11:03 am by Thomas Wheatley in NewsUPDATE: Word comes in that City Council might make a motion to reconsider the property-tax vote. More details to come. The move to reconsider failed. The final budget adoption will most likely take place around 1:30 p.m.
The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports the Atlanta City Council this morning narrowly approved a three mill property-tax increase that will plug a $56 million budget shortfall. The average homeowner will see his or her property tax bill increase by $240.
The 8-7 vote Monday morning to raise property taxes by 3 mills was still considered preliminary. It is contingent upon council members adopting the mayor’s $541 million fiscal 2010 budget, a vote expected to take place on Monday afternoon.
The closeness of the tax vote reflected criticism aimed at the council during several public hearings for considering a tax hike in the midst of a severe recession.
…
If the budget passes, the tax increase would allow the city to end employee furloughs during the fiscal year that starts on Wednesday. Furloughs of police officers and firefighters, and the subsequent impact on public safety, emerged as major concerns during the council’s review of Franklin’s budget.
The vote’s roll call:
Yeas: Carla Smith, Ivory Lee Young, Jr., Natalyn Archibong, Anne Fauver, Felicia Moore, C.T. Martin, Joyce Sheperd and Ceasar Mitchell.
Nays: Kwanza Hall, Cleta Winslow, Howard Shook, Clair Muller, Jim Maddox, Mary Norwood and H. Lamar Willis.
June 29th, 2009 at 11:43 am
As expected, the Buckhead trio (Norwood, Muller and Shook) take an irresponsible pass and vote against the tax increase that has become essential thanks to their failure of fiscal leadership these past 6 years. They can thank their stars 8 other members provided the votes, without which furloughs would worsen and bonds could become unsaleable.
But what’s with Maddox and Winslow voting against their patron the mayor? Aren’t their core constituents on the city payroll? Is their vote a safe protest against the furloughs?
Anyway, the council presidency election can now be a he-said, she-said about the tax hike between Mitchell and Muller.
June 29th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Agreed, CS. I think Mitchell just lost the council president’s race.
June 29th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I’m not sure Ceasar will lose this fight over the millage hike with Claire. Lots of folks are fed up with public safety furloughs and / or realize CFO Jim Glass is not bluffing when he says the city cannot go on without raising revenue. Claire had no choice on the vote since she needs her Buckhead anti-tax base. But expanding on it may be a challenge.
The pity of it is that both candidates are business-as-usual do-nothings. We need pols who look after residents’ interests for a change. Stopping the endless developer giveaways and collecting the unpaid taxes would be a strong beginning – but we still hear nothing about that.
June 29th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Amen, CS
June 29th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
From the ABC article: “The tax hike will raise property taxes on the average home in Atlanta – valued at $240,000 – by about $240 a year.”
I thought a mill means $1 of tax per $1000 of value. Wouldn’t that mean that a three mill increase result in $720 more in taxes on a $240,000 home?
June 29th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
No brent, because in their wisdom our overlords apply the mills to 40% of assessed value after first deducting homestead exemption.