Facing a standing room only crowd of more than 100 angry residents, the Austell City Council raised property tax rates Monday night by 154%.
“What other revenue initiatives will you incorporate, versus taxing the people for bailout funds?” longtime resident Melodie Casey said during the public hearing before the council’s vote. “You say it’s just $2 more per day, but how are people going to do that if they’re already negative $5 every week?”
An Austell couple is bringing a wine tasting room to the town next month
On a 5-1 vote, the City Council raised the property tax rate from 3.25 to 6.25 mills, and added a new fire tax of 2 mills. A mill represents $1 of tax liability for each $1,000 of assessed property value.
The average fair market value of a home in Austell is about $300,000, Finance Director Rachel Yarbrough said. Based on that value, the average Austell homeowner with a homestead exemption would pay nearly $600 more in annual city taxes, or an additional $50 per month, according to the city…