Roswell homeowners could pay about $640 more a year in city property taxes under a proposal headed to the City Council for a Sept. 28 vote.
Mayor Mary Robichaux is pushing the city's millage rate from 4.949 mills to 7.732 mills for tax year 2026, a 56% increase and the first major rate hike in more than a decade. Under the proposed rate, the owner of a home valued at $575,000 would owe about $1,778 in city taxes, up from about $1,138 under the current rate, according to city records.
The money would go toward road resurfacing, aging fire equipment and fleet vehicles the city says it can no longer put off replacing.
Robichaux, who took office in January, said city leadership identified close to $31 million in urgent capital needs but trimmed the list to about $18 million in priority projects, Appen Media reported Sept. 2. About $13 million in projects will be deferred to a longer-term plan.
Robichaux told Appen Media on Sept. 2 that Roswell's age brings infrastructure needs the city can no longer ignore.
Roswell maintains 360 miles of road, but last year's $4 million resurfacing budget covered only 14 miles. The city's roughly 480-vehicle fleet includes 33 vehicles in poor condition still in daily use, with replacements costing close to $4 million. Some fire engines are 22 to 23 years old; a typical engine lasts about 15 years, and ordering a replacement takes about three years, according to Appen Media's reporting.
City Hall itself flooded this year, causing nearly $700,000 in damage. The building's roof replacement is being funded through a separate public facility authority bond.
The proposed 7.732-mill rate breaks into two pieces: a maintenance and operations (M&O) portion of 6.549 mills that funds day-to-day services like police, fire and parks, and a debt service portion of 1.183 mills that repays the bond program Roswell voters approved in November 2022.
Robichaux said in a city statement on Sept. 2 that the decision came after a thorough review of near- and long-term needs. She also cautioned the rate is not final. "Remember, this is the proposed rate, so I don't want people to think this is the final," she told Appen Media on Sept. 2.
No council members have publicly commented on the proposal.
City property taxes make up about 16% of a typical Roswell resident's total property tax bill. Fulton County Schools account for roughly 55% and Fulton County about 29%, according to city records.
How to weigh in
Residents have four chances to speak before the council votes:
- Monday, Sept. 14, 7 p.m.: First reading, City Hall Council Chambers, 38 Hill St.
- Wednesday, Sept. 16, 6–7:30 p.m.: Town hall at Eagles Nest Church, 2342 Holcomb Bridge Road
- Monday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m.: Special called public hearing, City Hall Council Chambers
- Monday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m.: Second reading and adoption vote, City Hall Council Chambers
Property tax bills are expected to go out in mid-October once the rate is adopted, with payment due 60 days later.
