Johns Creek’s City Council unanimously adopted a lower property tax rate Monday, Oct. 26, choosing the rollback rate over an earlier proposal that would have generated additional revenue from rising property values.
The council set the maintenance and operations rate at 3.434 mills and the parks bond debt service rate at 0.247 mills, Appen Media reported. The combined rate is 3.681 mills, down from 3.742 last year.
A lower rate does not necessarily mean every homeowner will receive a lower bill. Individual taxes depend on a property’s taxable assessment and exemptions.
The city initially advertised an operations rate of 3.492 mills, unchanged from 2025 but 0.058 mills above the rollback. Under Georgia law, that proposal constituted a 1.70% tax increase and required three public hearings, according to the city’s September notice.
The rollback calculation offsets revenue growth attributable to reassessments across the tax digest. It does not freeze each homeowner’s bill.
For a homestead property valued at $625,000, the advertised operations rate would have cost about $14.15 more than the rollback rate. The council’s decision avoids that additional charge.
Mayor John Bradberry said the city’s finances did not justify adopting a rate above the rollback. He cited the city’s surplus and funding for public safety, according to Appen.
Bradberry said a higher rate would require “an emergency or some really compelling necessity that requires that additional burden on the taxpayer.”
Councilman Larry DiBiase also supported the rollback, saying residents frequently ask how Johns Creek maintains its low millage rate.
The operations levy is expected to generate about $22.77 million. The taxable digest grew approximately 1.92%, from roughly $6.5 billion to $6.6 billion, Appen reported.
Johns Creek continues to have Fulton County’s lowest city millage rate, according to Appen’s comparison. That distinction applies to the rate itself, rather than the dollar amount paid by individual property owners.
