Tax Hike On the Way for Brookhaven

Brookhaven residents can expect to see changes to their property tax bill as early as August after the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday on a 4.35 millage increase.

The owner of a $300,000 home with no change in value this year will see more than a $400 tax increase, explained District 1 Commissioner Elaine Boyer in a news release after the vote.

In contrast, those with homes worth $100,000 and experienced a decline in value of 24 percent will pay no tax increase. Those in the middle with homes valued $200,000 and experiencing a 10 percent decline will likely see a tax increase of about $150, Boyer said.

The 26 percent hike will generate about $50 million in revenue with $5 million being placed in a reserve fund, according to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. The budget shaves another $2.08 million out of district attorney and Sheriff's Office, roads and drainage. Police and fire remain unscathed.

Boyer, who in the 4-3 vote opposed the hike, said in a prepared statement, "It’s a tough, tough economy out there. People continue to lose their jobs and walk away from their homes every day. They just can’t afford to give government another dime especially when we have done nothing to tighten the belt of bloated government," Boyer said.

County CEO Burrell Ellis did agree to establish a separate police millage levy, something .

“This is great news for public safety and our citizens,” Boyer said in a statement. “Police and fire are the most important services provided by county government. The rest could always be debated. But we always have to protect our citizens.

The hike is needed, supporters said, to replenish the county's coffers and stabilize county finances that prompted credit agencies to lower its bond rating in March.

“DeKalb County needs a strong credit rating in order to protect the public in the best way we can,” Commissioner Jeff Rader told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution before voting to approve the hike.