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Revue News
Septmeber 25, 2014 | northfulton.com | 73,500 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 32, No. 38
Judge sides with Fulton on property taxes Rejects lawmakers’ arguments against increase By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com
JONATHAN COPSEY/Staff
Betty Hanacek of Grits Bits sells the Atlanta-based product. She said the European Market was a great event and well attended. Inset, Hans Meier II, of Hans Wooden Puzzles, makes custom wooden playthings during the Roswell Arts Festival Sept. 20 and 21.
Art for art’s sake Fall events draw artists, crowds By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com NORTH FULTON, Ga. – Fall is upon us, the weather is turning just right and the leaves are turning. That means it’s time for plenty of weekend events in the cities of North
Fulton. The weekend of Sept. 20-21 saw two of the largest – Roswell’s Arts Festival on the Roswell Town Square and the Alpharetta European Market on Milton Avenue.
See ART, Page 33
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – In a blow to several North Fulton legislators, a Cobb County Superior Court judge sided Sept. 18 with Fulton County in its bid to raise the tax rate by 17 percent. Cobb County Superior Court Judge G. Grant Brantley rejected arguments from six current and one former legislator that Fulton County should not be able to collect monies from the tax. Brantley refused to stop the collection of tax money from the increase proposed by Fulton County commissioners. However Brantley did not say the tax hike itself was legal, nor did he explain his ruling. The lawsuit was brought by Sen. Jan Jones (R-Milton), Rep. Harry Geisinger (RRoswell), Rep. Lynne Riley (R-Johns Creek), Rep. Joe Wilkinson (R-Atlanta), Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) and Rep. Wendall Willard (R-Sandy Springs). Former Rep. Ed Lindsey of Buckhead also signed
the lawsuit. The legislators say when Fulton County’s Board of Hausmann Commissioners voted to raise property taxes, they violated the law. The suit asks for an injunction on the increase until a judge’s ruling. The Fulton Commission voted Aug. 6 to adopt a general fund millage rate of 11.781 mills, a 17 percent increase for property owners. The vote was 4-3 with Commissioners Liz Hausmann, Joan Garner and Robb Pitts dissenting. In 2013, the General Assembly passed House Bill 604, which forbade the county from raising taxes until 2015, and then the county would need a super majority of five or more votes to raise taxes. This is in addition to a state constitutional amendment giving the
See TAXES, Page 33