The City of Roswell is proposing to increase its property tax rate, also called a millage rate, for Tax Year 2026 to 7.732 mills. The Tax Year 2025 millage rate was 4.949 mills. Roswell’s property tax rate has remained roughly flat over the last 10 years. If approved during the City Council meeting on September 28, 2026, the increase would help fund long-overdue road and infrastructure improvements, the upkeep of aging City facilities and equipment, and continued investment in public safety.
“We didn’t come to the decision to raise taxes lightly. This comes after a thorough review of our City’s near- and long-term needs,” said Roswell Mayor Mary Robichaux. “We owe it to our brave men and women in uniform to give them the tools they need to keep our City safe. We owe it to the people who drive throughout Roswell to ensure our roads aren’t riddled with potholes. And we owe it to the residents who play in our parks to have grass cut and restrooms clean. This proposed millage rate would allow us to honor those commitments.”
Mayor Robichaux shared additional details about the need for investment in critical City needs in a recent video.
Understanding the Millage Rate
There are two parts to the millage rate: Maintenance & Operations (M&O) and Debt Service.
The M&O portion, proposed at 6.549 mills, funds the City’s day-to-day services, including public safety (police, fire, and E-911), recreation and parks, transportation, and general government services such as administration, finance, and community and economic development.
The Debt Service portion, proposed at 1.183 mills, goes toward repaying the bond program approved by Roswell voters in November 2022, which has funded major capital projects such as the construction of the City’s new parking deck, Public Safety Headquarters, E-911 Center, and many parks and connectivity projects.
A legal notice regarding this proposed increase will appear in the Alpharetta-Roswell Herald on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2026. Under Georgia law, the City is required to establish a benchmark millage rate for purposes of determining the applicable public notice and public hearing requirements. Because the information necessary to calculate the current-year adjusted rate is not yet available from Fulton County, the City must use the prior year’s millage rate as the applicable benchmark for this process. That rate is 4.049 mills for the M&O portion alone or 5.232 mills for the full rate. Measured against this legally required benchmark, the proposed rate represents an increase of 2.5 mills.
What Does This Mean for My Tax Bill?
One “mill” is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of your property’s assessed value. Your assessed property tax is based on your assessed property value, which is determined by the Fulton County Tax Assessors’ Office. (For more information regarding your assessed property value, please call (404) 612-6440 or visit the Fulton County Board of Assessor’s website.)
With the City of Roswell’s proposed 7.732 millage rate, a Roswell homeowner whose property has a fair market value of $575,000 (assessed value of $230,000) would pay about $1,778 in City property taxes. Homeowners with exemptions will pay even less. Approximately $272 of that amount would go directly toward paying debt service.
Even with this proposed increase, Roswell’s property tax rate has remained roughly flat over the last 10 years and continues to make up the smallest share of a typical resident’s overall property tax bill, alongside Fulton County and Fulton County Schools.
When Will I Get My Bill and When Is It Due?
Property tax bills are expected to be mailed in mid-October, once the millage rate is formally adopted at the Sept. 28 Second Reading. Payment is due 60 days from the mail date, which typically falls in mid-December. Late fees are assessed starting Jan. 1 on any unpaid balance.
Residents with a homestead exemption, senior exemption, or other applicable exemption will see that reflected in their bill automatically once approved; no additional action is needed if an exemption is already on file. Residents who haven’t yet applied for an exemption can find more information at www.RoswellGov.com/Property-Taxes.
Payment of property taxes fund a large portion of the City’s annual budget. The property taxes collected by the end of 2026 will help to fund the City’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget, which begins in January 2027.
How Can I Learn More and Ask Questions?
Residents are invited to learn more and ask questions at the following public hearings, to be held at the City of Roswell Council Chambers, City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Roswell, Georgia, 30075:
- Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, 7:00 p.m. — First Reading
- Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, 6:00 p.m. — Public Hearing
- Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, 7:00 p.m. — Second Reading and Adoption
In addition, residents can also ask questions directly at a Town Hall dedicated to the proposed millage rate on Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Eagles Nest Church, 2342 Holcomb Bridge Road.
For more details about Roswell’s millage rate, visit www.RoswellGov.com/Property-Taxes.
