Alpharetta, Georgia – Alpharetta residents will have two more chances on June 15 to speak directly to city leaders before the City Council sets the final millage rate for the 2026 tax year and the 2027 fiscal year.
The city’s FY 2027 budget proposes keeping Alpharetta’s total millage rate at 5.750 mills, the same level the city has maintained since 2009. That total is split into two parts. The larger piece, the maintenance and operations levy, is proposed at 5.050 mills and helps pay for essential city services, capital investment and other local needs. The second piece, the bond levy, is proposed at 0.700 mills and supports the city’s voter-approved general obligation debt.
Even though the overall millage rate would remain unchanged, the city is advertising a 6.50% property tax increase for the M&O portion. That is tied to the forecasted impact of property tax reassessments, not a proposed increase in the total millage rate.
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Under Georgia law, cities must calculate a rollback millage rate after the taxable property digest is prepared. That rollback rate shows what rate would bring in the same revenue as the previous year if reassessments had not occurred. Because Alpharetta’s proposed M&O rate is higher than the rollback rate, the city must advertise the increase and hold three public hearings before the council can adopt a final rate.
The first public hearing was already held on June 1. The remaining hearings are scheduled for June 15 at 11:30 a.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. Both will take place in the Council Chambers at Alpharetta City Hall, 2 Park Plaza.
City officials say revenue growth is being directed toward several needs, including public safety initiatives. Residents are also encouraged to review the adopted budget through the City of Alpharetta website and its Financial Transparency Portal.
At the same time, the city is pointing to its homestead exemptions as a major part of its affordability strategy. Alpharetta estimates that its local homestead exemptions save homeowners more than $11 million each year.
Those exemptions include a floating homestead exemption that caps taxable value growth for homesteaded properties at the lesser of 3% or the Consumer Price Index, a basic homestead exemption of $45,000 off assessed value, a senior basic exemption of $25,000 for residents 65 and older, and a senior full-value exemption for residents 70 and older who meet certain income requirements.
The city also plans to apply the one-time state HTRG exemption created through HB 973, signed into law on March 3, 2026. The program provides up to an $18,000 reduction in assessed value for qualifying homesteaded properties. Alpharetta estimates the added savings at $1.3 million, bringing total homeowner savings for FY 2027 to more than $12.3 million.
