The Roswell City Council voted Monday, March 9, to approve a financing plan that will allow the City to address $13,400,000 in critical facility repairs, public safety investments, and infrastructure improvements, all while managing costs responsibly over time.

The plan authorizes the Roswell Public Facilities Authority (RPFA) to issue its Revenue Bond Series 2026 and establishes an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) through which the City will repay the bond over time.

The RPFA is a state-authorized financing entity established by the City in July 2024. As required by Georgia law, it convened immediately prior to the Council meeting to approve its own corresponding bond resolution.

Rather than drawing down the full amount from a single year’s budget, the City will repay the financing through scheduled payments from existing funding streams, much as a homeowner finances a major renovation over time rather than paying the full cost upfront. This financing does not create a new tax or fee, and residents should not see a change in their tax bill as a direct result of this bond.

Projects Included in the Approved Financing

The $13,121,200 in project funding addresses needs across three areas:

Facility Maintenance and Infrastructure

• City Hall Roof Replacement: $7.0 million. Installed in 1991, the roof is now 14 years past its 20-year life expectancy. Formal assessments conducted in 2017, 2021, and 2025 each recommended full replacement; however, the building continued to be maintained through repairs totaling approximately $800,000 over the past 12 years as the underlying condition worsened. This project replaces the entire roof system and installs a new roof with a 40-year expected lifespan.
• City Hall HVAC Improvements: $1.2 million. When the HVAC system at City Hall was recently replaced, the City deferred the cost of new control systems to determine whether the existing controls would be compatible. While this approach was intended to reduce costs, the existing controls are not fully compatible and limit the system’s performance. This project will install updated controls to ensure the HVAC system operates efficiently and delivers its full intended benefits.
• Barrington Hall Roof Replacement: $60,000. This funding is for protective maintenance for one of Roswell’s valued historic properties, planned for later in the year to accommodate the facility’s programming schedule.

Public Safety and Emergency Readiness

• Public Safety Headquarters Capital Projects: $1.35 million. The funding is for infrastructure improvements supporting emergency response operations not included in the original 2022 bond scope.
• E-911 Center Range Revitalization: $500,000. Funding is for upgrades to the training range at the E-911 Center that are not part of the original 2022 bond scope. Work is planned for later in the year, as other improvements at the facility are completed.
• Fire Engine Refurbishment (Two Engines): $1.1 million. The Fire Department maintains two engines in reserve so that if a front-line engine fails, a replacement can be deployed immediately. The City currently has no engines in reserve. Procuring a new engine, even at premium cost, can take six to eight months. Refurbishing existing apparatus restores that reserve capability far more quickly and at significantly lower cost.

Infrastructure, Fleet, and Community Facilities

• Parking Deck Administrative Services: $1.2 million. Funding will be used for funds management services and technology infrastructure for the Green Street Parking Deck, including data collection systems that will support the City’s parking pilot program approved by Council the same evening.
• Crabapple Performing Arts Center (PAC) Expansion: $625,000. Dance programming will move to its own dedicated facility, allowing gymnastics to move into the Crabapple PAC. The project includes floor reconfiguration and expansion work that will also support the City’s Adaptive Recreation programs.
• Vehicle Lifts for Fleet Shop: $115,000. Funding is for equipment upgrades to improve the efficiency of City vehicle maintenance operations.

How the PFA Financing Works

The Public Facilities Authority is governed by the Mayor, City Council, and a resident appointee, and all of its actions take place in public meetings with required advance notice.

The PFA uses a lease-payment structure, the legal framework through which the City repays financing over time. This is not a rental arrangement in the conventional sense; it is the mechanism Georgia law requires for the Revenue Bond validation process. The lease payment schedule matches the bond’s debt service schedule exactly, and if the bond is retired early, the lease retires with it.

Following a competitive solicitation to approximately 40 banks and lenders, the City selected Webster Bank. Their offer carries a 20-year term at 4.18%, with annual payments approximately $173,000 lower than the next competing offer, and prepayment flexibility beginning in year four. Of the $13,400,000 bond, $13,121,200 goes directly to projects. Bond issuance fees, including legal and administrative costs, came in at approximately $125,000—about $175,000 under budget. Those savings roll into project contingency.

Why the PFA, Rather Than a Bond Referendum?

General Obligation bonds, like the program Roswell voters approved in 2022, are well suited to large, long-range capital initiatives and require a voter referendum. The PFA provides an alternative path for addressing targeted needs that arise between those larger programs, with greater scheduling flexibility and typically lower issuance costs.

Both approaches carry full public transparency and oversight. The PFA simply allows the City to act more nimbly on specific, time-sensitive needs without organizing a separate ballot measure.

What Comes Next

With Council approval and financing terms now set, the City will proceed through the following remaining steps:

• Late March 2026: Public validation notice published; validation hearing held before a superior court judge.
• On or around April 9, 2026: Expected bond closing; funds available for projects.

Project funding will be budgeted in Fund 360, the Public Facilities Authority Revenue Bond Fund. Residents who wish to follow the process may monitor public meeting notices and agendas at roswellgov.com.