Sandy Springs adjusts Police HQ funding
► PAGE 5
Ballot referendum ties assessments to inflation rate
By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
METRO ATLANTA — Voters will decide whether to enact a number of statewide ballot measures aimed at relieving sticker shock on property taxes.
One ballot question is a constitutional amendment for a statewide floating homestead exemption that would essentially cap property assessments at the inflation rate.
House Bill 581 creates the homestead exemption and a new local option sales tax. It will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, only if the referendum on House Resolution 1022, which is also known as Amendment 1, is approved by voters in November.
Election Day is Nov. 5.
The ballot question would give the Legislature the constitutional authority to offer this homestead exemption.
The question says:
“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to provide by general law for a state-wide homestead exemption that serves to limit increases in the assessed value of homesteads, but which any county, consolidated government, municipality, or local school system may opt out of upon the completion of certain procedures?"
A floating homestead exemption generally increases its value to offset inflation. For example, if a home has a taxable value of $100,000 and that increases the following year to $110,000, the exemption floats to be worth $10,000.
See TAX, Page 12
Opponents of a bid by Mount Vernon School to add athletic field lighting don red T-shirts at a community meeting Sept. 16. The City of Sandy Springs will hold another public meeting on the topic Oct. 24.
Mount Vernon School, neighbors battle over athletic field lighting
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Mount Vernon Woods and Aria West neighborhoods are fighting a nearby private school’s effort to install field lighting in central Sandy Springs.
The process to allow lighting on the athletic field requires The Mount Vernon
School to amend the conditions of its special use permit through the City of Sandy Springs.
When the school was preparing to move to its current location at 510 Mount Vernon Highway more than 20 years ago, it agreed with a neighborhood to not install lighting on its main athletic field.
The terms of the agreement, signed in 2003 between the school and neighbor -
hood, expires in September 2025. The school’s 40-acre Upper Campus abuts Mount Vernon Highway and Glenridge Drive in central Sandy Springs.
Head of School and CEO Kristy Lundstrom said the push to have field lighting is about enhancing the student-athletes experience and expanding programming.
See LIGHTS, Page 13
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COMPARING POLICE TRANSPARENCY
Sandy Springs vs. Johns Creek
Sandy Springs Johns Creek
Each week Appen Media requests police incident reports to inform residents about the safety of their community. Sandy Springs continues to withhold what it calls the “narrative reports.” It is the only city Appen Media covers that follows this practice, which goes against guidance from the Attorney General, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Sheriff’s Association, Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia and Georgia Press Association. Appen Media will continue pursuing the release of more detailed documents that belong to the public in order to inform residents how safe – or unsafe – their city is.
Join us for our 12th Annual
Christmas Gift Show
Blessed Trinity High School Main & Aux Gym
11320 Woodstock Road
Roswell, GA 30075
Saturday, Nov. 9th 9am – 5pm
Sunday, Nov. 10th 10am – 3pm
Over 110 vendors with a large variety of unique and beautiful gift items –Jewelry, Wreaths, Pottery, Fine Art, Holiday and Home Décor, Accessories, Knits, Children’s Items, Huge Bake Sale and much more!
• Tons of parking
• All booths are indoors
• Enter our Titan Tidings Raffle to win prizes
• Concessions will be available
• No Strollers Please
• $5 Admission
Economist says Metro Atlanta remains poised for growth
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The chief economist for the Metro Atlanta Chamber says indications point to a more stable economy, and Georgia is positioned to reap the benefits.
Speaking before a crowd of some 50 business leaders at Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber’s Oct. 15 Signature Luncheon, Jerry Parrish painted a cautiously optimistic picture for the metropolitan area and its surrounding counties.
Parrish, former chief economist and director of research at Florida State University’s Institute of Government and the Florida Chamber Foundation, joined the Metro Atlanta Chamber in August 2023.
He said one of the big projects at the chamber is matching demand from companies with talent in the workforce.
“That was one of the things that attracted me to the Metro Atlanta Chamber,” he said.
With several trade and technical schools, as well the University System of Georgia’s 26 public institutions, companies from around the world are considering a move to Metro Atlanta.
Parrish said the millionaires in Generation Z may be electricians and plumbers, instead of those with college degrees. He encourages high schoolers to learn business and a trade.
“Private equity is going around and buying these companies up,” Parrish said. “The prices are not going to go down.”
Even with 63 Georgia counties, or 40 percent of the state, losing residents from 2010-23, the state’s overall population jumped 12.2 percent.
The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metropolitan statistical area, covering the 29-county region surrounding Atlanta, saw
Jerry Parrish, chief economist of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, delivers remarks on his economic outlook for the local economy Oct. 15 in the Terrace Meeting Room at City Springs.
its population increase 19 percent over the same period.
Growing job numbers and increasing population in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 29-county metropolitan statistical area contrasts with more concerning trends in rural counties, which are losing young people to urban centers and their tax bases with it.
“One of the things you have to look at,
as far as how attractive areas are, is how many people are moving there,” Parrish said. “When you add up Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb and Gwinnett counties, that’s seen an increase of right at a half a million people just in that 13-year period.”
Since 2020, Metro Atlanta has seen a 7.2 percent job growth rate, which is more than the state average of 6.6 percent and national mean of 4.5 percent.
“That means Georgia has grown substantially more jobs than the average state out there,” Parrish said. “That probably won’t surprise you that this area is growing, [and] people still want to live here.”
Before jumping into interest rates, in-
GARAGE
flation and Federal Reserve policy, Parrish said that he and his colleagues have been wrong, and not just a little.
“If you’ll remember back to early 2023, about 85 percent of economists were forecasting a recession,” he said. “All the probabilities said we would be in a recession by the middle of 2023 … that kept getting postponed.”
Parrish said the historically reliable indicator for a looming recession is an inverted yield curve, a condition in which interest rates on longterm bonds are lower than short-term bonds.
Sandy Springs adjusts Police HQ funding
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs City Council amended the construction contract for a vehicle storage facility at the new Police Headquarters and Municipal Court, adding more than half a million dollars to its budget.
During its session acting as the Public Facilities Authority Oct. 15, council members approved an amendment to its contract with Reeves Young, increasing the budget by $697,000 for the new storage facility at 620 Morgan Falls Road.
The overall project, totaling more than $45 million, is expected to wrap up in March.
City staff says the project is progressing as planned and remains within budget.
Part of the project’s scope includes a new Fleet Center at 8475 Roswell Road, which is now open.
The 2025 budget set aside $475,000 for construction of the vehicle storage facility, based on earlier plans made in 2021 to locate it off Trowbridge Road. Moving it to the Morgan Falls site added roughly $222,000 to the price tag.
Dave Wells, director of facilities and capital construction, said staff pivoted
CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED
This rendering shows the layout of the new Sandy Springs Police Headquarters and Municipal Court at 620 Morgan Falls Road. The Sandy Springs City Council and Public Facilities Authority approved a change order and transfer of funds Oct. 15 to build a police storage facility behind the Police Headquarters.
away from constructing the storage building off Trowbridge due to site challenges and high costs.
Wells said the storage facility will be a pre-engineered metal building built in the parking lot behind the Police
Headquarters, augmenting security and access. He said it also likely reduced construction costs, because the original $475,000 estimate would have surely increased had they stuck with plans for the Trowbridge site.
Local businesses recognized at Best of North Atlanta Awards Gala
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Business owners and community members partied the night away Oct. 17 at Appen Media Group’s 2024 Best of North Atlanta Awards Gala.
The celebration honored winners of the Best of Atlanta contest. Over the course of a month, members of the community nominated their favorite businesses, selecting more than 300 winners and runners up. This year’s contest drew more than 107,000 votes.
More than 300 people attended the awards reception in a ballroom at Phase Events.
Guests indulged in gourmet canapés and desserts provided by A&S Culinary Concepts and wine and beer. Live music was provided by Ethyl's Envy. Contest winners received certificates, many of which would be hung up in their offices and businesses.
The contest recognizes patrons’ enthusiasm for businesses in North Metro Atlanta, Appen Media Publisher Hans Appen said.
“It's a reflection of the quality of the business environment that we have in North Atlanta,” Appen said. “It’s exception-
al. It’s unique. I think we're spoiled a bit in North Atlanta by not only how diverse a business community we have but the quality of the businesses.”
Mike Dorman, Appen director of sales and marketing, said the awards were a way to recognize hard work and quality.
“It gives a lot of credibility to people looking at what businesses readers choose to visit in the community, and many of these winners have been consistently winning every year,” he said.
Marc Stewart, owner of Johns Creek Physical Therapy, has won every year since Appen Media introduced the physical therapy category in 2018.
For Stewart, receiving the award was humbling and a recognition of all that he’s given in service of his customers.
“When you're in the trenches and you're in the process of doing the work
Wells said the funding will stay as a line item in the capital budget until it’s eventually moved into the general fund.
“This is the approval of a change order, and then the [City] Council meeting will actually have a budget amendment to move the money over from Fire Station 5, which is bond money,” he said. “We’re moving the bond money back over to the Police Headquarters.”
The change order to the contract for the Police Headquarters allows funds generated through the Public Facilities Authority’s issuance of bonds to be used for acquisition, design and construction of projects like police vehicle storage buildings.
During the City Council meeting, Wells said the transfer was made possible through an excess of funding for Fire Station 5 in the budget.
City Councilman John Paulson asked whether the $697,000 reallocation, at the exact price of the change order with Reeves Young, is a one-step move.
Chief Financial Officer Toni Carlisle said transfer moves money from one project to another.
Council members approved the change order and fund transfer unanimously.
More than 300 people enjoy the celebration at Phase Events in Alpharetta Oct. 17. North Metro Atlanta businesses were honored with music, drinks, hors d’oeuvres and desserts as well as their award certificates.
every day, you just hope that your effort is recognized,” he said.
Sophia Crawford, owner of Ground & Pound Coffee in the Alpharetta-Roswell area, thanked those who voted for her business. Crawford opened Ground & Pound after her career as a professional stunt woman and co-starring in more than 30 films.
Crawford said she has worked to make her spot more than just a coffee shop by transforming it into a space where community members can socialize and enjoy live performances after hours.
She said the award’s recognition of her work and success can elevate her business.
“Thank you, from me and my staff. We're all a team,” she said. “It's not just me on my own. From all of us, we love you so much for your support over the years.”
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SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy
Springs Police arrested a 30-year-old Cumming man at the Hampton Inn off Hammond Drive Oct. 12 after finding large amounts of controlled substances in his vehicle.
Behind the story
In documents Sandy Springs gave to the public, the reporting officer used two sentences to describe this event.
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An officer said he was conducting welfare checks on people sleeping in their vehicles in hotel parking lots along the Hammond Drive corridor during the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
The officer said he noticed a white Chevrolet Silverado parked and running at the Hampton Inn around 2:30 a.m.
When he drove closer the truck, the officer said the passenger peered out of the window with a shocked expression and mouthed the words, “oh no!”
The officer said the driver, the 30-year-old Cumming man, then exited the vehicle.
During his conversation with the driver, the officer said he smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle.
Officers said the driver told them that he had more than a little marijuana in the vehicle.
As one backup officer removed the passenger, a 33-year-old Norcross woman, another officer said the driver attempted to re-enter his truck but was ordered to stop.
After that, officers said they detained and searched the suspect, finding two knives in his front pocket and baggies of presumed cocaine.
Officers said the suspect admitted the substance was cocaine.
During a search of the vehicle, officers said they found a SIG Sauer P365 handgun with 9mm ammunition, 52 grams of cocaine, 58 grams of ketamine, 28 grams of ecstasy, 22 grams of methamphetamine, 9 grams of marijuana and 20 grams of
They wrote that on the day of the exchange, "I observed a suspicious vehicle at 769 Hammond Dr. The driver was subsequently arrested for multiple VGCSA charges and with a firearm."
An initial police incident report, which state law makes available to the public, is a document used to record an officer's observations and interactions during the call for service.
Sandy Springs differs from other law enforcement agencies Appen Media covers in that the city provides brief, skeleton reports, then placing a more substantive narrative in a separate document.
In a lawsuit now before the State Court of Appeals, Appen argues this practice violates the Georgia Open Records Act.
The newspaper obtained most of the information for this report from a source with Fulton County Superior Court.
When applying for arrest warrants, Sandy Springs offered the judge a more detailed description of events.
Appen Media will continue to explore all routes of keeping residents informed about how safe — or unsafe — is the City of Sandy Springs.
miscellaneous narcotics.
Officers secured eight felony warrants for possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute and transported the suspect to Fulton County Jail.
The suspect remains in jail on Rice Street in Atlanta as of Oct. 14.
Baker turns pastry passion into business
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Soli Prillaman loves when friends and family break bread together.
“I love being able to give back and having that feeling that this person is going to have a meal, that their entire family will enjoy it,” Prillaman said.
Prillaman, a Cumming resident, feeds that passion through her business, Soli’s Kitchen, selling baked goods and other treats. She and her 18-year-old daughter make all the items themselves with a special focus on fresh ingredients.
Prillaman has been baking for at least 20 years, but she decided to make it a profession after raising money through bake sales for her daughter’s International Career Development Conference competitions.
People were going crazy for her culinary creations, and she began receiving requests for catering and countless compliments.
“People kept saying, ‘You should start a business,’” she said.
Prillaman, a first generation American with Cuban heritage, has lived in Georgia since 1995 but grew up in Miami.
As a child, her father often would leave the house early on weekends to purchase pastelitos, a traditional Cuban pastry. She said she has fond memories of indulging her sweet tooth with the traditional baked puff pastries.
“We definitely looked forward to them,” she said.
Now, pastelitos, particularly guava and cream cheese flavored ones, are one of her most popular pastries.
“I wanted to provide something that goes with my heritage,” Prillaman said. “Guava is sweet, but it also has a little bit of a tanginess. The cream cheese helps take care of that.”
Pastelitos are not the only sweets drawing attention. There’s also a healthy demand for her double chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies. The perfect cookie is cooked all the way through but with just enough doughiness for a chewy middle.
During the holidays, she plans to sell cocoa bombs, which customers can make their own hot cocoa with. The bombs have a chocolate shell with customizable options like hazelnut, mini marshmallows and dark, white and regular chocolate.
“You have to have hot chocolate in the wintertime,” she said.
Not all of Prillaman’s items are sweet.
She also has begun making her own salsa, a blend of tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, seeded jalapenos, cilantro and various seasonings. Made from fresh in-
often receives help from her
man decided to create a business after receiving compliments
raise funds for her daughter’s competitions.
More Information
To make a purchase from Soli’s Kitchen, message her on Facebook or contact her at 404-819-0110.
She also can be found at the Cumming Farmers Market on Saturdays and World Harvest Church, 325 Hardscrabble Road, in Roswell on Thursdays. Sourdough is not for sale at the Cumming Farmers Market.
gredients, it’s far better than any jarred salsa at the grocery, she said.
The salsa, refreshing and not too spicy, goes perfectly on “pretty much everything” from grilled chicken to breakfast burritos to tacos, she said.
“It just tastes better,” Prillaman said.
She’s also known for her sourdough bread.
Baking a loaf is a six-hour process that begins with organic flour, water and a starter.
Pulling the dough every 30 minutes gives the bread its delicious consistency, something that brings customers back
Preparing sourdough bread takes hours and requires massaging the dough many times to give it the right consistency.
over and over. Prillaman said she often gets texts and calls from customers asking her to reserve them a loaf.
The bread is perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches and bruschetta, but it’s also great on its own with a little butter.
“It should have a nice crust on the outside, and on the inside, you should be able to see the different layers and bubbles,” she said.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SOLI PRILLAMAN
Soli Prillaman
daughter in preparing her food. Prilla-
from bake sales to
Soli Prillaman prefers her cookies to be slightly soft but cooked all the way through. Prillaman makes a variety of desserts for sale.
Pastelitos are a traditional Cuban pastry sold by Soli Prillaman. She enjoyed the pastry as a child.
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This view of 5326 Happy Hollow Road includes the well, the Eastern red cedar tree and the home behind the tree.
Pastoral view and blurred history of Happy Hollow home
There is an older home at 5326 Happy Hollow Road, on the left as you travel north toward Dunwoody Club Drive. It has always caught my eye because it is a lovely home with a well in the front yard. Another unique feature of the property is the Eastern red cedar tree near the well that amazingly survived the 1998 tornado.
Owner Kristen O’Brien and I have researched and asked a few people who have lived in the area a long time what they know about the home. O’Brien has lived there 22 years.
There are features in the home that indicate it is older than the 1955 date on DeKalb County property records. The home may have been built much earlier, but the property was recorded when renovations and additions were done in 1955.
Water was just arriving in areas outside of Atlanta that were considered rural in the 1950s, so having a well was not unusual. That included north DeKalb and north Fulton County. Water came to Sandy Springs around 1950.
Kristen O’Brien first moved to Dunwoody in 1978 and lived in Dunwoody Club Forest, then moved to Spalding Lakes. She recalls taking piano lessons from one of two women who lived in the Happy Hollow home in 1984.
According to local real estate agent Tom Florence, the home was purchased by Charles Dickerson in 1970, Peggy and Gene Kelly in 1986 and Kristen O’Brien in 2002. The O’Briens had their eye on
the home in 1990s and were happy to purchase it in 2002.
The Happy Hollow home is close to the historic Cassidy Lamb House on West Fontainebleau Court, but I have found no direct connection between the homes. The Happy Hollow name may have begun with the Cassidy family or with a later owner. A 1945 map shows the name Happy Hollow. In 1995, Jim Perkins wrote about Happy Hollow Road and James Robbs, who took care of the pool when the Cassidy Lamb House was owned by Atlanta banker Baxter Maddox. The pool was built into a nearby creek, common for summer houses at the time. Robbs is remembered by the Cassidy family as a tenant farmer who grew corn and cotton on the land while also looking after the summer home.
Not long after Kristen and her daughter Kyla moved into the home, James Robbs brought by a copy of the 1995 Dunwoody Crier with Perkins’ article. He wrote a note on it saying, “I thought you folks might like to have this.”
This story is like a puzzle that is missing pieces. Perhaps James Robbs knew the connection between the Cassidy Lamb House and 5326 Happy Hollow, if there was one. If you have additional history or memories of this Happy Hollow home, please write to me at pasttensega@gmail. com.
Thank you to Hannah Wildner for sharing her photos of the Eastern red cedar tree and connecting me with Kristen O’Brien.
Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
BRIAN WHITCOMB/PROVIDED
OPINION
Growing herbs can be a year-round activity
Growing herbs can be a year-round affair in the South, not just in the spring and summer!
Many herbs can tolerate the South’s mild winters outside. Some of the hardy herbs which grow in the cool fall weather are cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, and even some mint can stand up to cold weather.
When beginning to grow herbs, I usually recommend starting out with a few simple ones. Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow because they can tolerate a wide variety of soil conditions and have few insect and disease problems. Historically, herbs have been used for seasoning and medicine and to provide pleasant fragrances.
Herbs prefer a well-drained soil with a pH between 6 to 7.5. Try to incorporate 2-3” of compost or manure to a depth of 8-12”. A soil test will determine what other nutrients need to be added to the soil. Cool season herbs need 6-8 hours of sun daily. Be sure to add 1-2” of mulch to prevent weeds and maintain proper soil moisture.
Chives, lavender, parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme are best planted in the fall, while basil and tarragon are tender summer annuals and need to be brought inside before the first frost. Rosemary, oregano and sage are hardy evergreens and can thrive all year long. Once winter sets in fully, chives will go dormant, and oregano and thyme may lose some leaves due to frost, but they will continue to grow new leaves you can harvest.
Herbs can be grown in raised beds, alongside your vegetables or mixed in your ornamental flower beds to accent cool weather blooms. Be sure and add a layer of pine straw to protect them in the landscape in the cooler seasons. They are also easily grown in containers inside or outside since herbs generally have shallow root systems. They can be grown together or individually (except mint which needs its own pot). In case of a freeze, you should water outdoor herbs well and use frost cloth for overnight protection.
Let’s look at a few cool season herbs more closely.
• Cilantro has a short life cycle and bolts (develops seeds) quickly in hot weather. That means you need to pinch back young plants an inch or so to encourage fuller, bushier plants. Snip off the top part of the main stems as soon as it appears to be developing flower buds or seed pods.
• Parsley grows well in sun or part shade with at least 6 hours of sun daily. There
Herbs from Robin’s garden.
are two basic kinds, curled and flat leaved. Parsley requires consistent moisture for continuous growth.
• Rosemary is an evergreen perennial. It is quite easy to grow because it is drought tolerant and requires very little maintenance. It can grow up to 4’ tall and wide, so give it lots of space. After the plant flowers, trim and prune regularly so it doesn’t become too lanky.
• Sage is also a perennial herb. At a young age it needs consistent moisture until it starts to grow quickly. You don’t want to harvest too much during the first year so the plant will continue to grow.
• Thyme is a beautiful creeping ground
About the author
This week's "Garden Buzz" features Sandy Springs resident Robin Pollack, an accomplished artist and Master Gardener. Active in the Atlanta art community since 1970, Robin has taught for over 30 years at Chastain Arts Center and has been a Master Gardener since 2005. As a member of North Fulton Master Gardeners, she has taught vegetable gardening at Farm Chastain and her own garden. Her garden, influenced by her artistic eye, has been featured on tours including Atlanta Botanical Garden and Georgia Perennial Plant Association.
enhance the flavor in your Christmas or Thanksgiving meal. Plant rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives and winter savory for your turkey or stuffing. You can garnish the display with fresh sprigs of herbs.
Those same savory herbs from your meal can add homemade flavor to your soups and stews. Add parsley and thyme, high in vitamin A and C, to chicken broth to fight off colds and boost your immune system.
Have fun creating holiday drinks with fresh herbs! Add mint to hot cocoa, add rosemary to your apple cider, add lavender to your tea and make a tonic with thyme and sage for winter colds.
To harvest your herbs, it is best to collect them early in the morning after any moisture has dried. You can dry herbs by tying bundles of stems together and hanging them in a warm dry area. They can also be preserved by freezing dried leaves or placing them in an ice tray with water. Frozen herbs will last 3-6 months before losing their freshness.
ROBIN POLLACK/PROVIDED
cover. All thyme is fragrant, and there are several varieties to choose from. Water normally, and prune the plant back in the spring and summer to contain its growth.
There are many uses for herbs including hardy and cool weather herbs. More than 70 different herbs have been identified according to their cooking, aromatic, ornamental or medicinal uses. An herb is defined as any plant that produces seeds but does not form a wood stem or any part of a plant that can be used for medicinal, cooking or spiritual purposes. Many herbs fall in more than one category.
During the holidays, fresh herbs can
Herb gardens were once an important part of the American home and have recently regained popularity with people enjoying the fresh herbs in cooking or just for their fresh look or scent. Growing your own herbs is one of the most rewarding things to grow in the garden. They taste better and save you money.
Happy gardening!
North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at: https://appenmedia.com/opinion/columists/garden buzz/.
ROBIN POLLACK Guest Columnist
Economist:
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“That makes no sense … because if I’m going to loan you money, the longer the duration or period, the more risk you take,” he said. “Every time we’ve had a recession, we’ve had a yield curve inversion right before it.”
After the national economy avoided recession last year, Parrish said economists didn’t know what to think.
“We were all wrong and looked like idiots,” he said. “What happens is the yield curve should start low and go high … now the 10-year is higher than the 2-year [treasury yields].”
With the Federal Reserve announcing an interest-rate cut of 50 basis points Sept. 18, Parrish said he thinks the targeted “soft landing” is looking like more of a possibility.
The Fed is the central banking system in the United States. When Congress established it in 1913, the Fed was tasked with maximizing employment, stabilizing prices and moderating long-term interest rates.
A “soft landing” occurs when the Fed increases interest rates and manages to bring down inflation without causing unemployment to spike or national gross domestic product to drop.
Depending on an individual’s income level and wealth, economic headwinds appear different.
A normal yield curve is beneficial to banks and com-
Tax:
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So, according to a webinar presentation from the Georgia Municipal Association and the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, the homeowner's taxable value remains at $100,000.
But with HB 581, the taxable value, or the assessed value, could only increase by a rate of inflation set by the State Revenue Commissioner, which would likely be the consumer price index.
With the same example, if the assessed value is $100,000 and increases to $110,000 the following year, but inflation is 2% then the taxable value could only increase by 2%, up to $102,000. The exemption floats to be worth $8,000 of assessed value, so the homeowner would pay based on the $102,000.
“The main effect of the House Bill 581 exemption on your residential, homestead taxpayers is that the taxable value of their homes may only increase at the rate of inflation each year,” said Dante Handel, associate director of governmental affairs at Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG). “The intent is to protect those homeowners. It does slow the growth of the digest for your residential homestead properties.”
In this case, property assessments could not increase more than the inflation rate each year. The exemption would apply to cities, counties and school districts.
The bill allows cities, counties, and school districts to opt out of the floating homestead exemption. Each taxing
Attendees of the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber’s Oct. 15 Signature Luncheon listen to a presentation from Jerry Parrish, chief economist of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. The keynote speaker covered the overall health of the U.S. economy, the Federal Reserve’s recent rate cut and regional trends.
mercial developers, but what about people outside of those industries?
The job market is doing well, and the Fed doesn’t need to cut rates quickly because it has improved the chances of a soft landing, Parrish said.
Parrish is concerned about a few things in the national economy, like consumer confidence at its lowest level in
entity will have until March 1 to file its exemption if the referendum passes, and the option expires after that.
Ryan Bowersox, assistant general counsel of the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA), said during the webinar that if a city or county already has a floating exemption, such as Fulton County’s 3% floating homestead exemption, then homeowners would receive whichever is more beneficial if the local government does not opt out.
If a city, county, or school district offers a flat-rate homestead exemption, this floating exemption would be added on top of that. In Decatur, a homeowner would still receive the $40,000 general exemption and the floating homestead exemption.
The statewide cap would apply to all millage levies except those dedicated to bond payments, so it would apply to a special service district as well if a city or county did not opt out, Handel said.
Latisha Gray, director of communications for GMA, said that if the referendum is approved and a local government does not opt out, the floating homestead exemption would provide some predictability regarding property taxes.
“As a homeowner stays in their home, over time, they can come to expect consistent change/increase in their home's taxable value,” Gray said. “This helps avoid the possibility of a rapid increase in a given year, which can possibly result in a greatly increased property tax bill compared to the previous year.”
If a city does not opt out, the exemption would augment the digest's taxable value over time, artificially keeping home values lower for tax purposes.
“This exemption will impact cities
three years and $34.8 trillion in federal debt.
“Consumers have been through a couple years of inflation,” he said. “Everybody was running a little nervous there for a while, but what’s happening to consumer sentiment is a big deal.”
Confidence was high early in the COVID-19 pandemic before inflation hit consumers.
Even with interest rates coming down and inflation cooling off, most Americans are struggling to make ends meet, excluding most homeowners in North Fulton County.
Parrish cited a few statistics to back that up, like 18.1 percent of customers signing 84-month auto loans.
“There’s straining going on in the economy right now, we have to think about it,” he said. “Even the robots aren’t as busy as they used to be, so what does that tell you, probably things are slowing down.”
Parrish said he doesn’t want to alarm anyone because he thinks the state of Georgia is in a strong position.
“What’s literally happening is we basically have a bifurcated economy here, meaning split in two,” he said. “Take people below median income, they’ve spent all their stimulus money … inflation, food and rent have gone up substantially.”
Parrish said 50 percent of Americans believe the country is already in a recession.
“They’re struggling,” he said. “The last two and a half years, I’ve been forecasting that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates higher for longer.”
differently depending on the mixture of their digest and the frequency of home sales,” Gray said. “If a city was required down the road to raise their millage rate to maintain the same level of revenue due to the exemption, the tax burden would shift more to the non-homesteaded portion of the digest.”
The ACCG’s Handel also said that the tax burden wouldn’t go away, but it would be shifted to other property owners. Non-homestead properties, such as commercial, industrial, agricultural and multifamily residential, would continue to be assessed at their fair market value.
“Renters will not see the benefit of the homestead exemption as these are treated like commercial properties, but potentially they could see the benefit of the [new local option sales tax] if the millage rate is reduced and the savings are passed along from the property owner to the renter,” Bowersox added.
If a city, county, or school district were to opt out, homeowners would not receive the floating homestead exemption.
“While opting out is a one-time decision, nothing precludes the city from in the future receiving a similar homestead exemption in the traditional manner,” Gray said.
New local option sales tax
HB 581 also creates a local option sales tax, known as FLOST, that’s tied to the floating homestead exemption. All parts of the bill would go into effect only if the referendum is approved.
The FLOST would also be aimed at providing property tax relief. A city or county would be eligible only if they offer
a floating exemption, whether it’s an existing exemption or the exemption in HB 581. But the county and all cities within that county that levy property taxes would have to have a floating exemption in place to be eligible for the sales tax.
For example, DeKalb County and all its 13 cities would have to have a floating homestead exemption in place to levy the new local option sales tax. Implementing the FLOST would then be a separate local referendum. The FLOST could be levied in 0.05% increments up to 1%.
Cities, like Atlanta, that have a municipal option sales tax would not be eligible to levy a FLOST. School districts are not eligible to participate in FLOST. HB 581 includes some procedural property tax changes as well. For more information or to watch GMA and ACCG’s webinar visit https://www.accg. org/page.php?ID=2202.
Tax court ballot question
Another ballot question, Amendment 2, would create a tax court with statewide jurisdiction concurrent with superior courts. Currently, the tax tribunal is in the state’s executive branch, and this would establish a court in the Georgia judicial system, according to WABE. "Georgia Referendum A" seeks to increase the property tax exemption for tangible personal property that’s worth $7,500 or less. The referendum would increase this to properties worth $20,000 or less, WABE reported.
Tangible personal property are things that are movable, like equipment, furniture and inventory, according to the Fulton County Board of Assessors.
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Council:
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In other business, the City Council approved a $491,000 contract with Excellere Construction for a sidepath south of I-285 along Roswell Road (Ga. 9) between Lake Placid and Northwood drives.
Lights:
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“We are not compromising on the need for lights because they are a critical part of providing a full athletic and extracurricular experience for our students,” Lundstrom said. “However, we are open to exploring ways to minimize the impact on the community, such as limiting usage hours, adjusting brightness levels or incorporating other measures to address concerns.”
From January through May, Mount Vernon School held talks with representatives of the neighborhoods.
“They did not believe further discussions would be productive and, in a letter, demanded the school withdraw its application or else they would instruct their attorney to commence formal dispute resolution proceedings,” Lundstrom said.
The Mount Vernon Woods Community Association says it opposes field lighting because of its proximity to homes and the impacts of nighttime sporting events. For one neighbor, the main field is less than 150 feet from their property line.
The debate over installing lights on The Mount Vernon School’s athletic field predates the city’s incorporation.
Before the school purchased the original 30-acre property in 2005, it signed an agreement with the Mount Vernon Woods Community Association to adhere to certain development and use conditions. The community association agreed to support The Mount Vernon School’s request for a special use permit with some neighbors allowing sewer easements.
A
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The project will construct 9-footwide sidewalks and streetscaping on the west side of Roswell Road.
Public Works Director Marty Martin said the work includes utility relocation, and his staff went with the lowest
The tradeoff was The Mount Vernon School agreed not to install field lighting on its property with other conditions concerning noise levels and restrictions on field use. In return, neighbors supported necessary permitting for the school.
Kimberly Oliver, president of the Mount Vernon Woods Community Association, said her three children attended the school.
“During that time, we didn’t think about putting that agreement in a 20year perpetuity with automatic renewal,” Oliver said. “We trusted the school, we trusted the Glenns and we knew that they had their contract in 2005.”
Oliver takes issue with how The Mount Vernon School is presenting its effort to have lighting allowed on its main field. She says staff have not reached out to neighboring public schools about sharing facilities because they want lighting for sporting events on school grounds.
Because the school purchased an additional 10 acres from the Glenn family in March 2016 for future development of recreational fields, Oliver said there’s room for additional athletic fields if school programs need them.
In June 2016, the 10-acre parcel consolidated with the original 30-acre tract to create a single, 40-acre lot for the Mount Vernon School’s Upper Campus.
On the school’s dedicated webpage, it says plans are to break ground and develop two practice fields at the property, provided its fundraising goals are met.
“The school’s athletic program is thriving,” Oliver said. “Not having
DEATH NOTICES
Winnie Ann Bolton, 86, of Alpharetta, passed away on October 5, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
John Edward Breyer, 89, of Alpharetta, passed away on October 6, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
qualified bidder.
The engineer’s estimate for the project was around $554,000, suggesting city staff got a good deal.
Martin said the project is funded through the Community Development Block Grant Program, where there are adequate funds.
CDBG is a federally funded program that focuses on benefiting low- to moderate-income people and provides resourc-
Friday Night Lights is not causing the school not to excel.”
After negotiations with neighborhood representatives stalled, the school resubmitted its request for a conditional use permit to add lights to the Upper Campus’ main field Aug. 22.
Topics discussed during the first half of 2024 include sound impacts, the use of technology to limit light pollution, restrictions on hours and days of the week, buffers with neighboring residential properties and security for large events, like high school football games.
Oliver said the school’s application places no restrictions on field lights, allowing their use seven days a week until 10:30 p.m. She also said the school is looking to rent out the field to private groups to generate revenue for its athletic programs.
“It’s kind like they’re talking out of both sides of their mouth,” Oliver said.
On the other hand, The Mount Vernon School says its more than 60 athletic teams will be able to get more use out of the field with lights extending hours in the evening.
When asked about using a neighboring school’s facilities, like an agreement between Riverwood International Charter (Fulton County Schools) and Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School (private), Head of School Lundstrom said Mount Vernon’s circumstances differ.
“Having our own facilities allows us to create a consistent and cohesive environment for our athletic programs, fostering team spirit and community among our student-athletes,” she said.
“Our goal is to ensure that our students have access to high-quality
Susan Ernst, 81, of Alpharetta, passed away on October 7, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Jean Scogin, 64, of Roswell, passed away on October 9, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
es for livable neighborhoods, economic empowerment and decent housing.
The sidepath extends earlier phases of the Roswell Road streetscape already installed along the state route, Martin said.
Mayor Rusty Paul said it looks like bid figures from contractors are getting more reasonable.
“The shortage of work will help do that,” Paul said.
athletic experiences that reflect our commitment to their growth and development.”
Lundstrom also said the school is committed to seeking a resolution that works for all parties and open to exploring ways to minimize the lightings impact like limiting usage hours and brightness levels.
After the initial Sept. 16 community meeting, the Community Development Department scheduled a make-up Oct. 24 at the Mount Vernon School’s Upper Campus to gather public feedback and answer questions.
Neighbors at the meeting wore red T-shirts to symbolize their opposition to field lighting, but the school did not allow them to ask questions or voice their concerns. Instead, nearby residents were asked to scan a projected QR code and submit comments online.
Head of School Lundstrom said the intention was not to stifle public comment.
“This approach aimed to give everyone a fair chance to have their voice heard, especially those who might not feel comfortable speaking out in a crowded room,” she said. “We encourage our neighbors to participate and submit comments using all available avenues so we can better address the community’s concerns moving forward.”
The make-up meeting is at Mount Vernon School Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.
The third and final community meeting is at City Hall off Galambos Way at 6 p.m. Oct. 30.
Mount Vernon School has a webpage dedicated to the effort to install field lighting on its main field. To review, visit mvcampusproject.org/.
Rachel Siders, 86, of Roswell, passed away on October 9, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Vera Quaranta, 90, of Roswell, passed away on October 11, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Donor Operations Associate The Donor Operations Associate greets and removes donations from vehicles and then sorts the merchandise in a designated area. They are responsible for keeping the merchandise secure, all areas free of debris, and the donor door area neat and clean. This position is the face of NFCC, so they are expected to provide excellent customer service and treat each donor, volunteer, and staff member professionally and with a friendly demeanor.
Work is performed both indoors and outdoors in extreme hot and cold conditions. Must have the ability to work in extreme temperatures, ability to lift up to 75lbs and or use a lift aid, ability to push and pull items, and be able to stand for up to 8 hours.
To apply, please submit a resume to Marten Jallad, Director of Thrift and Donor Operations, NFCC, mjallad@nfcchelp.org
Childcare Associate: The NFCC Childcare Associate has the critical role of providing a safe and welcoming environment for children from the ages 2 to 11 while their parents attend classes in the NFCC Education Programs. Contract position with competitive hourly rate, Evenings 5 – 8 pm. Contact Carol Swan at cswan@nfcchelp.org to apply.
