Health & Wellness Sponsored Section ►►PAGE 24
Cell tower moratorium
Foodies rejoice!
Alpharetta extends ban ►►PAGE 4
Honoring Jim Matoney
Taste of Alpharetta success ►►PAGE 17
Former judge receives WARM reception ►►PAGE 10
&
Alpharetta-Roswell
REVUE NEWS
May 14, 2015 | revueandnews.com | 75,000 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 10, No. 20
AL LEVINE / SPECIAL
Onward: Chattahoochee lacrosse coach Jack McIlvain congratulates his Cougars after the 12-10 victory over Mill Creek.
Locals to advance in state lacrosse Milton girls, Roswell boys By MIKE BLUM news@appenmediagroup.com
The Roswell boys varsity lacrosse team has advanced to the state finals.
DAVID WEAVER/ SPECIAL
NORTH FULTON, Ga. – Six local high school girls’ lacrosse
teams advanced to the state semifinals, which were scheduled to be played earlier this week. The championship games in the four divisions will be played Saturday. North Fulton
See LACROSSE, Page 35
Alpharetta unveils new budget Taxes neutral, revenues up By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Despite keeping the city’s tax rate the same, residents of Alpharetta will still get notice of a tax increase. And also a tax decrease. Alpharetta’s fiscal year 2016 budget was unveiled
May 4, and it contains some good news. The city’s millage rate remains steady at 5.750 mills, the same as the current year. This HARRIS includes a 0.05 mill reduction in the debt service, but an equal increase in the operating budget for a net neutral amount.
According to city Finance Director Tom Harris, the moving of monies into the general fund’s operating budget carries a mandate. “We will advertise a tax increase for the operating budget (operating millage rate),” Harris said. However, “We will simultaneously advertise a tax decrease for our debt service budget.” This is required by the state of its municipalities. Any increase in the operating bud-
get’s millage rate has to be advertised as a tax increase, even if the overall tax rate remains the same. In total, there is $89.9 million in the budget. Nearly $9 million goes to capital projects, such as road maintenance, and $3.5 million goes to debt service. The largest chunk of the pie – $63 million – goes to the general fund. The property tax digest is expected to grow about 2 percent thanks to new develop-
UGLY DRIVEWAY? Dave McKemey:
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New Driveways | Patios | Pavers | Stone and More
ment, such as Avalon. Operating expenditures are up 3.5 percent over last year. This increase includes the new costs associated with the City Center grounds as well as election fees. The proposed budget calls for several new initiatives, such as an expansion of the weekly Food Truck Alley for a once-monthly event larger than the weekly ones (cost-
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