[00:00:01]
ALL RIGHT, PAUL, IT IS TIME TO GET STARTED. THIS IS THE CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING MEETING FOR JUNE THE 4TH. AND I'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
NO, CALL THE ROLL TONIGHT. ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL GO RIGHT INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING.
[2. Public Hearing]
I'LL READ THE RULES OF ORDER FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ZONING MATTERS.THE MAYOR IS THE PRESIDING OFFICER. ALL REMARKS SHALL BE ADDRESSED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS A BODY, NOT TO INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS. ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK SHALL COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS TO THE CITY CLERK. LIMIT REMARKS TO THREE MINUTES UNLESS FURTHER TIME IS GRANTED BY COUNCIL AND NOT SPEAK A SECOND TIME UNTIL EVERYONE WISHING TO SPEAK HAS SPOKEN ONCE AND NO ONE CAN SPEAK MORE THAN TWICE.
PLEASE DO NOT SPEAK UNLESS YOU HAVE THE MICROPHONE AND HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED.
AND WITH THAT WE'LL MOVE INTO THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS THE 2026 MILLAGE RATE.
MAYOR SO THE CITY SETS ITS ANNUAL MILLAGE RATE EVERY YEAR IN JUNE.
THIS IS THE FIRST OF THE THREE. SO THE NEXT ONE WILL BE THURSDAY, JUNE 11TH AT 11:30 A.M.
WHICH IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW. AND THEN THE FINAL PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE JUNE 16TH AT 6 P.M.
AND COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER VOTING ON SETTING THE MILLAGE RATE BY RESOLUTION IN THAT MEETING.
ALL MILLAGE RATES HAVE TO BE SET BY JULY 1ST.
THE CITY HAS HELD THIS MILLAGE RATE STEADY SINCE 2018, WHEN IT ACTUALLY LOWERED THE MILLAGE RATE FROM 6.4 MILLS TO 6.25 AND THEN ADDED AN ADDITIONAL $20,000 OR $30,000 $20,000 HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, RAISING IT FROM $30,000 TO $50,000 AS A BASE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. AND THEN WE ALSO 100% EXEMPT OUR SENIOR RESIDENTS FROM OUR CITY TAXES.
THE ROLLBACK RATE IS REQUIRED. WE ARE REQUIRED BY STATE LAW TO ADVERTISE THE ROLLBACK RATE.
AND SO THIS PROPOSAL SHOWS A 23.47% INCREASE OVER THE ROLLBACK RATE, NOT OVER THE 6.25 MILLS.
AND SO THAT IS A HYPOTHETICAL RATE THAT IF WE WERE TO COLLECT THE SAME TOTAL DOLLARS OF LAST YEAR AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR RISING PROPERTY VALUES, THE ROLLBACK RATE IS THE MILLAGE RATE THAT WE WOULD NEED TO SET.
THAT IS ALL DONE. THEORETICALLY IT'S NOT ACTUALLY HOW IT WORKS IN TERMS OF DOLLARS COLLECTED.
AS YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR WE GET A PRELIMINARY TAX DIGEST.
THAT TAX DIGEST IS ADJUSTED MULTIPLE TIMES EVEN AFTER YOU ADOPT YOUR MILLAGE RATE.
AND EVEN AS CLOSE AS LATE AS THE END OF THE YEAR AS APPEALS GO THROUGH.
SO THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TAX DIGEST THAT WE HAVE TO SET OUR MILLAGE RATE AT AND WHAT ULTIMATELY RESULTS IN THE AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT WE COLLECT AT THE END OF THE YEAR. AND SO CHAMBLEE'S ROLLBACK RATE THIS YEAR IS 4.872 MILLS.
WE ARE MEASURING OUR PROPOSED 7.25 MILS AGAINST THAT FLOOR.
BUT OUR ACTUAL PROPOSED CHANGE IN MILLAGE RATE IS ONE MILL.
SO 6.25 TO 7.25. LIKE I SAID IN DECEMBER 2025, WE ADOPTED OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET OF $35.9 MILLION FOR 2026. THIS IS THE SAME EXACT BUDGET AS WE APPROVED AND OPERATED IN 2025.
SO WE DID NOT SEE ANY INCREASES TO OUR BUDGET.
IN FACT, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET SETTING PROCESS AT THE END OF 2025 WE HAD TO TAKE A SCALPEL TO OUR SPENDING JUST KNOWING THAT WE WERE GOING TO START SEEING SOME CHANGES TO THE MARKET PATTERNS THAT WE WERE SEEING IN PREVIOUS YEARS, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID.
BUT AS YOU KNOW, EVERY HOUSEHOLD, JUST LIKE EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN CHAMBLEE, EVERY BUSINESS IN CHAMBLEE, THE CITY GOVERNMENT IS ALSO EXPERIENCING RISING COSTS AND KEEPING ALL OF THAT IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVE HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY A CHALLENGE.
I MENTIONED BRIEFLY THAT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE RECEIVE IN REVENUE DOES NOT NECESSARILY ALIGN THE NET TAXES THAT IS SHOWN IN OUR NET TAX LEVY THROUGH THIS PROCESS. LAST YEAR WE ONLY COLLECTED 85% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WAS IN OUR TAX DIGEST.
AND SO THAT 15% DELTA IS SIGNIFICANT FOR THE CITY OF CHAMBLEE.
[00:05:07]
LOT MORE ACTIVITY WITH COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES APPEALING AND THE IMPACTS TO OUR OPERATING BUDGETS, BECAUSE REVENUE FROM PROPERTY TAXES GENERATES ABOUT 85% OF OUR TOTAL CITY REVENUE.SO THE AVERAGE FAIR MARKET VALUE FOR A HOME IN CHAMBLEE IS $525,000.
SO THE PROPOSED TAX INCREASE WOULD IMPACT YOUR AVERAGE HOME BY $275.60.
AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR THE CITY'S $50,000 HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, THE TRUE AVERAGE IMPACT IS APPROXIMATELY $213.94 PER YEAR, OR $18 PER MONTH. AND AS A REMINDER, DEKALB COUNTY AND DEKALB COUNTY SCHOOLS MAKE UP THE VAST MAJORITY OF SOMEBODY'S TAX BILL AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU KRISTEN. ALL RIGHT. I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK TO COUNCIL THIS EVENING ON THIS SUBJECT? ANYBODY? NOBODY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, THEN I'LL MOVE DOWN TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
[3. Mayor and Council Discussion]
ANYTHING FROM COUNCIL? NOBODY. ACTUALLY, I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR KRISTEN.SO. THE BUDGET THAT WE SET LAST YEAR AND THE REVENUES THAT WE COLLECTED WERE FROM THE COUNTY WERE.
YEAH, IT'S A COMBINATION OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS.
BUT THE BIGGEST PIECE TO THAT IS THE AMOUNT OF PEELS ON VERY VALUABLE PROPERTY.
THAT'S KIND OF BEEN THE BIGGEST IMPACT IN THE LAST PROBABLY TWO YEARS.
IT'S BEEN COMPOUNDING. AND SO NOT KNOWING WHAT THE LONG TERM TREND IS IN ORDER TO FIX BASICALLY WHAT IS IT IS ESSENTIALLY CAUSING A STRUCTURAL BUDGET ISSUE. AND IN ORDER TO FIX THAT, WE HAVE TO ADJUST THE MILLAGE RATE TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT.
OTHERWISE WE WILL BE HAVING TO PRETTY TAKE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CUT TO THE BUDGET OVERALL, WHICH IT'S ALREADY LIKE I SAID, WE'VE MAINTAINED IT, IT'S BEEN FLAT AND WE'VE LOOKED AT ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO CUT IT FURTHER.
THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF FAT IN OUR BUDGET.
BUT THAT IMPACT THAT 15% AND REVENUE THAT WAS NOT COLLECTED.
YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO GET EVERYTHING PERFECT BY THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT THE 15%, ESPECIALLY AS IN GENERAL, THE, BUDGET HAS GROWN HAS BEEN PRETTY TREMENDOUSLY IMPACTING US, ESPECIALLY IN ADDITION TO THAT OTHER REVENUE LINES, DO YOU KNOW THEY'VE KIND OF SUN-SETTED OR THEY'VE BECOME OUTDATED OR THEY'RE THEY'RE NOT GENERATING REVENUE AS WELL. SO MIC].
SO. IF YOU DIDN'T WIN THE APPEAL. IF I CAN MENTION ONE ONE LITTLE EASTER EGG IN LAST YEAR'S BIG PROPERTY TAX CHANGE FROM THE STATE THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THREE YEAR FREEZE HAS CHANGED.
YOU ONLY RECEIVE A THREE YEAR FREEZE IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL IN HAVING YOUR ASSESSED VALUE REDUCED.
IF YOU ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR JUST FILING AN APPEAL DOESN'T GET YOU ANYTHING ANYMORE.
SO ONCE THAT FREEZE IS GONE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE.
I'LL ADD TO THAT WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW, ESPECIALLY SINCE COVID, RIGHT? BECAUSE HOUSING PRICES HAVE OBVIOUSLY INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY SINCE THE PANDEMIC.
[00:10:02]
AND THEN THE ASSESSMENTS FOLLOWED SUIT STARTING TO SLOW DOWN.AND WE DON'T GET THAT INFORMATION UNTIL ESSENTIALLY AFTER OUR FISCAL YEAR HAS ENDED. BUT I WILL ALSO ADD THAT IN THAT PROCESS AS PEOPLE ARE APPEALING THE COUNTY, ALTHOUGH IT'S ADJUSTING ITS NET TAXES LEVIED ADMINISTRATIVELY, IT'S NOT FACTORED IN UNTIL THE NEXT YEAR WHEN THEY SEND THEIR PRELIMINARY DIGEST AGAIN.
SO THE COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE, SENT US A FINAL TAX DIGEST IN AUGUST OF 2025 FOR THE 2025 YEAR.
AT AROUND 18.1 MILLION, IT WAS ADJUSTED DOWN ANOTHER $2.5 MILLION BY NOVEMBER, WHICH WAS NOT GIVEN TO US. THAT INFORMATION WAS NOT GIVEN TO US. AND THAT IS THEN HOW THEY CALCULATE THE PERCENTAGE OF TAX REMITTED BACK TO THE CITY.
SO THEY'LL ADJUST THAT NUMBER DOWN AND THEN THEY'LL COLLECT UP TO WHATEVER.
AND SO THEY'LL SAY YOU'VE GOT 96% OF YOUR TAXES COLLECTED, BUT IT'S OFF OF A COMPLETELY NEW NUMBER THAT YOU'RE GETTING AT THE END OF YOUR FISCAL YEAR. AND THEN IT'S NOT FACTORED IN WHEN THEY DO THEIR PRELIMINARY DIGEST AGAIN.
SO THERE'S A AND I'M SORRY, THIS IS A LITTLE COMPLICATED, BUT THERE'S KIND OF THIS GROWING GAP BETWEEN THE REALITY OF WHAT PEOPLE END UP PAYING VERSUS THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE GIVEN AS A PRELIMINARY TAX DIGEST FROM THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE WHEN WE GO TO SET OUR MILLAGE RATE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? OKAY. AND I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY TAXPAYERS HAVE RIGHTS. THEY ABSOLUTELY CAN AND SHOULD EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS TO APPEAL.
WE'RE JUST SEEING A MUCH MORE VOLATILE TREND LATELY, JUST BECAUSE OF THE PRETTY DRAMATIC INCREASE IN VALUES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT OVER PROJECTING OR UNDER PROJECTING AND TRYING TO GET THAT NUMBER RIGHT HAS BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A CHALLENGE.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW, PEOPLE APPEAL AND IT TAKES ONE IN A CITY LIKE THE SIZE OF CHAMBLEE, IT COULD TAKE ONE PROPERTY WITH TREMENDOUS VALUE TO APPEAL THEIR TAXES AND IT COULD HIT US PRETTY HARD. I'LL JUST ADD THAT WE DIDN'T GET HERE LIGHTLY.
SO IT CAME DOWN TO A BINARY DECISION DO WE CUT SERVICES OR DO WE RAISE THE MILLAGE RATES? I CAN TELL YOU, I HAVE ADVANTAGE OVER THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE THAT I KNOCKED HUNDREDS OF HUNDREDS OF DOORS LAST YEAR IN PREPARATION FOR THE ELECTION, AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON I TALKED TO, NOT ONE PERSON SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE NEED LESS SERVICES. WE NEED LESS PARKS, WE NEED LESS POLICE.
WE NEED LESS PUBLIC SAFETY MEASURES. SO IT CAME DOWN TO THAT BINARY CHOICE OF, DO WE RAISE THE MILLAGE RATE OR DO WE START REDUCING SERVICES? AND FOR ME, IT WAS A PRETTY EASY DECISION THAT WE HAVEN'T MADE THE DECISION YET.
BUT ADVERTISING THAT WE'RE GOING TO RAISE THE MILLAGE RATE IS THE ONLY DECISION TO BE MADE TODAY.
I WILL ALSO NOTE THAT WE DO UNDERSTAND THERE'S PAIN OUT THERE.
EVERYBODY'S FEELING IT IN THIS ECONOMIC SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE SERVICES ARE GOING TO WIN OUT ON THIS ONE AND WE'LL SEE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THAT. OVERWHELMINGLY, DEKALB COUNTY SCHOOLS IS MAJORITY OF WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
BUT FOR CITY MATTERS, HOWEVER.
EVERY COUNTY IS EVERY STATE. YOU'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH TO SERVICES ARGUABLY ARE THE MOST EXPENSIVE. IN ADDITION, JUST FROM A, YOU KNOW, OVERALL COST TO OPERATE.
[00:15:05]
BUT THOSE THE COST TO PROVIDE POLICE SERVICES, THE OVERALL COST INCREASES SO MUCH YEAR OVER YEAR BECAUSE OF THE EQUIPMENT, BECAUSE OF THE VEHICLES, THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO DO THERE POLICE WORK.IT IS NOT A CHEAP INDUSTRY BY ANY MEANS. AND THEY'RE GETTING, GETTING HIT WITH TARIFFS JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE IS ON THEIR ON THE VEHICLES ALONE HAVE SEEN DRAMATIC INCREASES IN THE LAST 4 TO 5 YEARS.
A $50,000 CAR WITH OUTFIT IS NOW $80,000 PER CAR.
AND WE HAVE TO REPLACE MULTIPLE VEHICLES EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND SO YOU KNOW, IT JUST CONTINUES TO RISE WITH POLICE SERVICES IN ADDITION TO THEIR PAY AND THEIR SALARIES AND THE THINGS THAT KEEPS THEM EMPLOYED BECAUSE IT'S A TOUGH, A TOUGH CAREER PATH. I WAS JUST GOING TO TOUCH ON THAT AS WELL, THAT THE SALARY PRESSURE HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS, ESPECIALLY IN THE POLICE SAFETY AREA, PUBLIC SAFETY AREA.
THE PAY HAS GONE UP TREMENDOUSLY OVER THE YEARS.
AND WE ARE, WHAT, A TOP FIVE IN THE STATE IN SALARY FOR OUR POLICE.
BUT THE REASON WE'RE AT TOP FIVE IS BECAUSE WE HAVE ZERO OPEN SPOTS ON OUR POLICE FORCE OR VERY, VERY LIMITED 1 OR 2. BUT THAT WAS THE REASONS ARE BECAUSE OF HEALTH ISSUES AND OTHER THINGS.
BUT WE, OUR CITIZENS HAVE SAID WE WANT TO BE A SAFE PLACE, AND WE'VE SEEN DOUBLE DIGIT DECREASE IN CRIME IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AND IT'S TRENDING DOWN. SO I GUESS WE COULD SEE THE THE OUTCOME OF INVESTING IN OUR POLICE AND MAKING CHAMBLEE A PLACE TO LIVE THAT'S SAFE FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS COUNCIL, WE'LL OPEN THAT BACK UP.
IF ANYBODY WANTS TO SPEAK TO US. YOU WANT TO.
OKAY. COME ON UP. YEAH. GO AHEAD.
MIC] 1990, COMMODORE LANE CHAMBLEE.
THANK YOU. SO I AM FORTUNATE THAT I'M A SENIOR, AND INCOME WISE, I DON'T PAY THE CHAMBLEE TAXES.
I DID GET MY ASSESSMENT. I FOUND IT COMPLETELY.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS THAT I'VE EVER THOUGHT ABOUT APPEALING MY ASSESSMENT.
AND I AM GOING TO. AND I HAVE TO SAY THE GENTLEMAN AT DEKALB WAS VERY, VERY NICE.
BUT DOES MY, IS MY UNDERSTANDING WITH THIS INCREASE, IF YOU PUT IT THROUGH, I DON'T PAY CITY TAXES. SO YOUR NUMBER OF 213, 275, 258 WHATEVER IT IS, I MEAN, THAT'S YOUR ASSESSMENT OF WOULD THAT AFFECT ME? WOULDN'T BECAUSE I DON'T PAY CITY TAXES.
SO THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY ASSESSMENT TO DEKALB COUNTY.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU. ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT.
SEEING NONE, WE WILL ADJOURN AND I'M SURE WE WILL BE WILLING TO STICK AROUND.
IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS OR WANTS TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
WE'LL BE HERE FOR A FEW MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. THANKS.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.