Johns Creek homeowners with a $625,000 home would pay roughly $48 more per year in city property taxes under a millage rate the City Council is moving toward adopting later this month.

The city tentatively set its FY2026 millage rate at 3.492 mills, 0.195 mills above the rollback rate of 3.297 mills. Under Georgia law, that gap classifies the proposal as a 5.91 percent property tax increase, even though 3.492 is the same numerical rate the council adopted for FY2025.

The difference comes down to rising home values. The rollback rate is the rate that would keep total city property tax revenue flat year over year. When property values climb, the rollback rate drops. Holding the millage steady at 3.492 means the city collects more money overall.

Three hearings, then a vote

The council opened the required public hearing process Monday, July 13, with two sessions at City Hall, 11360 Lakefield Drive. The first hearing began at 11 a.m.; a second followed at 6 p.m. A third and final hearing is scheduled before the regular City Council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, July 27, when the council is expected to take its final vote on the rate.

Residents who cannot attend in person can submit written comments to [email protected].

Same rate, different math

Mayor John Bradberry championed the 3.492 rate when the council adopted it for FY2025 in July 2025, calling it "the lowest millage rate by far of any city in Fulton County." At that time, the council rolled back from an advertised rate of 3.646 mills to land at 3.492.

For FY2026, the city is not rolling back further. The FY2026 operating budget, which the council approved in September 2025, was built on the rollback rate, according to city records. The tentative decision to hold at 3.492 mills means the council is proposing to collect revenue above what that budget assumed.

Johns Creek's millage rate has declined steadily since 2018 as property values rose. In 2017, a 4.36-mill rate generated just over $17 million in revenue; by 2024, a levy of 3.646 mills brought in about $22.6 million, according to Appen Media reporting on the city's finances.

FY2027 budget process launches the same day

The council's 5 p.m. work session Monday, July 13, also included an initial 30-minute presentation on the FY2027 budget, putting the city in a dual budget cycle. Public hearings on the FY2027 spending plan are set for Monday, July 27, at 7 p.m. and Monday, September 14, at 7 p.m., according to the city clerk's public notice.

The next chance for residents to speak on the millage rate is at the July 27 council meeting at 7 p.m. at City Hall.