Why Fulton County property owners may get two tax bills this year
Fulton County taxpayers face potential double bill
Fulton County officials asked a Superior Court judge to approve a temporary tax collection order following property tax digest delays, according to county leaders.
FULTON COUNTY, Ga - Fulton County officials petitioned a judge on Tuesday for a temporary tax order to keep the lights on and workers paid.
One county commissioner says an administrative delay in processing land packages is to blame.
That could mean you get hit with two separate tax bills this year.
Fulton County tax digest
What we know:
Fulton County officials filed a request in Fulton County Superior Court on Tuesday seeking a temporary tax collection order to keep government functions running, as first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"The long and short of it is the tax digest was not ready in time," said District 3 Commissioner Dana Barrett.
Without the official digest, the temporary order allows the county to bill property owners using last year's millage rates.
Barrett noted that once numbers are finalized, homeowners could receive a refund or a secondary bill for remaining balances.
"[The court order] allows us to go ahead and collect even though we don't have the final numbers," Commissioner Barrett said. "When everything is finalized, if your bill changes either up or down, you could either get a refund once you pay your taxes, or you get a secondary bill saying you owe an additional."
She blamed processing delays for land packages, which are requests to subdivide property, for preventing the tax commissioner from approving the tax digest on time.
School board budget impact
What they're saying:
Fulton County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney expressed deep concern at a board meeting on Saturday about the financial uncertainty facing the school district.
"It's, in my mind, really unconscionable," Looney said.
Looney pointed out that local property taxes account for the majority of the district's funding.
"60% of this board's budget comes from local taxes, and we don't know what that number is. It's impossible to run a $1 billion organization without having 60% of your revenue solidified," Looney said.
Looney also apologized to local homeowners regarding the likely tax outcome.
"I don't see any plausible scenario where taxpayers won't get two tax bills," Looney said.
Barrett acknowledged that the administrative delay must be addressed.
"We should not have this happen," she said. "And we do need to put, you know, procedures in place to make sure it doesn't happen on any kind of a regular basis. And hopefully it doesn't ever happen."
Superior Court tax ruling
What we don't know:
FOX 5 is still working to learn whether Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura L. Ingram has granted the temporary tax collection order, which was submitted Tuesday.
The judge has 10 days from Tuesday's filing to issue a decision on the request.
Property tax bill timeline
What's next:
If the judge approves the temporary collection order, county officials hope to mail property tax bills by Aug. 15. The order would allow tax revenue to continue flowing while officials finalize the official property digest, ahead of an Oct. 15 due date.
The Source: The information in this story was based on reporting by FOX 5 reporter Rob DiRienzo, who interviewed Fulton County District 3 Commissioner Dana Barrett, public comments made at the Fulton County Schools board of education meeting, and initial reporting from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.