To comply with O.C.G.A. 48-5-32.1, the City receives a Revaluation Report from the DeKalb County Property Appraisal Department which indicates the portion of property valuation increases due to growth (new construction) and revaluation (increases in value of existing construction). On June 6, the City received, upon request, a revision of the Revaluation Report which indicated that the increase in property value for the parcel located at the corner of Sam’s Crossing and East College Avenue had been incorrectly included in the revaluation total rather than the growth total, which caused the calculation of the 2019 rollback rate required by O.C.G.A. 48-5-32.1 to be significantly higher than it should have been. Since the law requires the rollback rate to be advertised three times, and the first advertisement appeared in the June 6 edition of the Champion, the City Attorney has advised that the subsequent two ads use the same calculation. However, in the interest of complete transparency, the City is making both the original rollback calculation and the calculation based on the revised Revaluation Report available on this website.
The revised numbers indicate that the overall increase in property taxes due to revaluation is 0.71%, equivalent to a $10 annual increase for the average homestead valued at $375,000 and a $15 increase for the average non-homestead property with an appraised value of $525,000. The average homestead in Avondale Estates has increased by more than $25,000 since 2018.
The Governing Authority of the City of Avondale Estates has tentatively adopted a 2019 millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 0.71 percent. From 2014 to 2018, City expenditures have increased by an average of 6.53 percent, so a similar increase in the dollar amount collected from property tax is likely necessary to maintain the same level of service to City residents and businesses. All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at City Hall, 21 North Avondale Plaza, Avondale Estates, Ga. 30002 on:
- Thursday, June 13, 2019, at 6:01 p.m.
- Thursday, June 20, 2019, at 6:01 p.m.
- Monday, July 1, 2019, at 6:01 p.m.
The purpose of the hearings is to allow public input on the level of service desired by residents and businesses, as well as the millage rate necessary to maintain those services.
This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 9.8 mills, an increase of 0.069 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the mill rate will be no more than 9.731 mills. While resulting in more tax dollars collected, 9.8 mills is the same rate approved in 2018. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $375,000 is approximately $10. The proposed tax increase on non-homestead property with a fair market value of $525,000 is approximately $15. These represent average values; in comparison, the average homestead property value was about $350,000 one year ago.
All related documents to this notice are available in PDF format.