Roswell homeowners could pay significantly more per year in city property taxes under a proposal Mayor Mary Robichaux announced Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The proposed millage rate of 7.732 mills for tax year 2026 would be a 56% jump from the current 4.949 mills, Appen Media first reported. The rate has stayed roughly flat for the past 10 years. For a home with a fair market value of $575,000, the annual city tax bill would rise from about $1,138 to about $1,778 — a real-dollar increase of about $640, according to the city's notice. The city's official notice describes the impact differently: measured against a state-required "benchmark" rate that already assumes the mandatory debt-service increase, the notice puts the increase at roughly $575, reflecting just the discretionary maintenance-and-operations portion of the hike.
The bulk of the increase falls in the maintenance and operations (M&O) portion of the rate, which would climb from 4.049 mills to 6.549 mills. A separate debt-service component tied to the city's 2022 bond would also rise, from about 0.9 mills to 1.183 mills, but that increase is locked in by the bond's terms.
Robichaux, who took office in January, said the city can no longer defer maintenance on aging equipment and roads. City department directors identified close to $31 million in what she called "almost absolute needs." The proposed 2.5-mill M&O increase would generate about $18 million for priority capital projects, leaving roughly $13 million unfunded this cycle.
The numbers behind the request are stark. Roswell's roughly 480-vehicle fleet includes 33 vehicles in poor condition that employees still drive daily. Replacing them would cost close to $4 million, Robichaux told Appen Media in a Tuesday, Sept. 1 interview. Some fire engines in service are 22 to 23 years old; a typical engine lasts about 15 years, and ordering a replacement takes about three years.
"I don't want a fire engine not to be able to pull out of the fire station because it's 25 years old," Robichaux said in the Sept. 1 interview.
The city also maintains 360 miles of road but resurfaced only 14 miles with last year's $4 million road budget. Resurfacing every road that needs work would cost close to $50 million, Robichaux said. City Hall itself flooded this year, causing nearly $700,000 in damage.
Robichaux said she considered issuing more bonds but decided against adding to the city's debt. Roswell is already repaying a $179.6 million bond approved by voters in November 2022 over 30 years. That bond funded the new parking deck, Public Safety Headquarters, E-911 Center and park improvements but did not cover routine maintenance.
She said she expects major economic development projects to expand the tax base within two to three years and would revisit the rate once that revenue arrives.
One caveat: Fulton County has not finalized the 2026 tax digest, so the city is basing its math on the 2025 figures. The final rate could shift once the county completes the digest. By law, the advertised rate of 7.732 mills is the maximum the council can adopt.
Homestead exemptions, including options for seniors, can lower the impact for eligible homeowners. Non-homestead properties valued at $500,000 would see an increase of about $500.
City Council will take up the proposal at four public meetings:
- Monday, Sept. 14, 7 p.m. — first reading, City Hall, 38 Hill St.
- Wednesday, Sept. 16, 6–7:30 p.m. — town hall, Eagles Nest Church, 2342 Holcomb Bridge Road
- Monday, Sept. 21, 6–7 p.m. — state-mandated public hearing, City Hall
- Monday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m. — second reading and final vote, City Hall
No council members have publicly stated a position on the proposal. Robichaux said she is open to speaking with any homeowners association, civic group or church that requests it.
