Fulton County residents grill appraisers over millage rate, homestead exemption
ATLANTA - With property tax bills climbing across Fulton County, dozens of residents gathered at the Louise Watley Library on Monday evening to get answers directly from the Fulton County Tax Assessor’s Office. The one-hour town hall, part of the "Meet Your Appraiser" series, came ahead of the August 1 deadline to appeal 2025 assessments.
Meet Your Appraiser
What they're saying:
Christopher Fields, a residential property appraisal manager, said the session aimed to "educate the public on what they can do, the timeline," and ensure homeowners know how to appeal or apply for exemptions.
"The whole goal is to make sure we’re assessing everybody correctly and also making sure that they have a fair chance of discussing their values," Fields said. "People learned how to file their taxes, what to look for when the county comes out to the properties, and it gives them a sense of security knowing they can work with us."
Tentative millage rates
What we know:
The timing is critical. Fulton County’s Board of Commissioners has tentatively adopted a 2025 millage rate that would raise property taxes by 12.49 percent. If approved, the rate will increase from 8.774 to 9.87 mills. For homeowners, that could mean an extra $213.72 on a home valued at $562,500, and up to $383.60 more for a non-homestead property worth $875,000.
Property taxes to increase in Fulton County
The other side:
Many in attendance said they came seeking clarity, including Audrey Foster, who wanted to better understand her options.
"I wanted to understand all the different things that could help me like homestead exemptions, the different types, and the deadlines," Foster said. "I also wanted to know, if I did appeal, how would I appeal and what could I use to get those values."
Foster said most of her questions were answered.
"It was very informative. If I need more information, I can always go over to the tax office. I'd come to more town halls," she added.
Virginia Prescott, who moved into her home last year, said she was stunned when her property taxes jumped 63 percent.
"That’s a huge, huge burden," Prescott said. "I came here because I wanted to see why it went up so much."
Prescott said the meeting provided a better understanding of the process, including learning that the previous owner of her home had an income-based exemption that kept taxes artificially low. Once that exemption dropped off, her tax burden surged.
"This is the first time I'd ever been to a town hall meeting, and I'm really glad I came," she said. "Officials were helpful, but it wasn’t incredibly satisfying."
Like others at the meeting, Prescott still wants answers about where the increased revenue is going.
"A gentleman asked where the money actually goes. They couldn’t tell him," she said. "From what I see, it's not going to schools, roads, parks, or other city services. If people are complaining about huge increases, what’s happening to all that money?"
Homestead exemptions
Dig deeper:
Fields said that while many attendees were concerned about rising costs, the Tax Assessor’s Office is not trying to push people out of their homes.
"Everybody’s got a perception of the county like we’re trying to kick them out. That’s not the case," he said. "We’re a team. Our goal is to make sure they’re educated, they know how to appeal, they know what to look for."
He added that most questions on Monday focused on homestead exemptions, particularly from older residents.
"Hopefully, we answered all those, to the best of our knowledge anyway," he said.
Fulton County Property Tax work session
What's next:
Though Monday's event was the final scheduled work session, Fields encouraged residents to continue reaching out.
"Just because we put stuff out doesn’t mean we stop helping," he said. "All you have to do is request us."
The Source: The Fulton County Tax Appraiser's Office provided the details for this article.