Real Estate Report Sponsored section ►►page 24
Milton’s new library Will open next year ►►page 4
&
The dead walk
Atlanta escapes from zombies ►►page 18
Alpharetta-Roswell
Revue News
June 5, 2014 | northfulton.com | 73,500 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 32, No. 23
Alpharetta property taxes to rise Law calls fund shifting a hike By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com
Airborne A scale model of theP51-D Mustang, the type of plane flown by the famous “Red Tails,” the Tuskegee Airmen. See the story, page 36.
Jonathan Copsey/ Staff
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Local cities are going through their budget process for the year – fiscal year 2014-2015 – and Alpharetta is seeing a good increase in revenues as the economy gets back on track. However, due to state law, the city will have to inform residents they are increasing taxes. City officials are quick to point out they are not. In fact, it is a sign of good fiscal health. State law requires any increase in tax rates to be listed as a tax increase. However, because the city is retiring bond debt, they will be paying less for that debt service. The money they would otherwise pay is instead moving into the general fund, prompting the alert.
Public hearings on issues, budget • 6:30 p.m. June 9 • 7:30 p.m. June 16 Hearings will be held at Alpharetta City Hall, 2 South Main St. In Alpharetta, the overall amount citizens will pay will remain the same. The overall millage rate is 5.750, the same as last year. By retiring bond debt, the city will save 0.08 mills (about $80,000) that will instead be moved to the general fund, raising it from 4.87 to 4.95. It is this increase the city is advertising. At the same time, the city is telling residents it is lowering taxes for the exact same reason – the bond debt millage rate is declining.
GSU quarterly economic forecast »
Sunshine peeking out for Georgia’s economy Job growth trending upward with premium jobs mostly coming to Atlanta area By HATCHER HURD hatcher@northfulton.com ATLANTA – Despite deficit job growth in the first two months of 2014, Georgia State Uni-
versity Economic Forecasting Center Director Rajeev Dhawan forecasts healthy growth, 65,000 new jobs for the year and more than a quartermillion new jobs by the end of
2016. “I am gingerly betting on growth for Georgia,” Dhawan said. At least he didn’t say “guardedly optimistic.”
Unemployment in Atlanta has shrunk from a 2011 high of 9.8 percent to a forecast 6.6 percent in 2014 and falling to 5.4 percent by 2016. Atlanta should see 46,800 new jobs
this year; 10,800 of them (23.3 percent) should be classified as premium jobs ($60,000-plus annually). This comes despite Georgia showing a jobs deficit of 9,000 that did include the state’s
See FORECAST, Page 16