Message from Jan Jones

Below is an email sent by Representative Jan Jones of District 46:

Friends and Neighbors-
I'd like to further clarify the city of Milton's promising financial future with no property tax rate increase for northwest residents. I encourage you to forward this information to your friends and neighbors that live in the northwest area.


1. THE NEW CITY TAX REPLACES AN UNINCORPORATED COUNTY TAX

In Fulton, when a city is formed and takes over local service delivery, a special property tax only paid by unincorporated residents is eliminated and replaced with a new city tax. The county tax can be found on your property tax bill designated as the Special Service District (SSD) tax. The current rate is 4.731 mills. The legislation allowing for the creation of Milton caps the property tax rate at 4.731 mills. It can only be increased by a voter referendum.


2. THE HIGHEST PER RESIDENT PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IN COUNTY - AND THE STATE!

With an identical city property tax rate to the SSD unincorporated tax rate, Milton will collect the highest per resident property tax revenue of any of the 13 cities in Fulton County - and any city in GA. It is because the area has the highest average home values by a significant margin. This more than compensates for a lower-than-average commercial base for your average city, which generates fees, fines and permit revenue.

Additionally, Milton will receive sales tax revenues (that are currently spent elsewhere by commissioners) to make service and infrastructure enhancements. In Fulton, only cities qualify to receive a share of sales tax revenues, although all residents pay the additional one-cent tax. These additional revenues will bump current spending levels in northwest Fulton by a third after Milton incorporates.

You may have read recently that Fulton County commissioners voted to set a precedent by transferring to the city of Sandy Springs all park land for $1 per acre. Additionally, fire and police stations will be sold for $5000 each. This means the city of Milton will start off with numerous assets, as it should because its taxpayers already paid for them.


3. THE PROBLEM IS WHO IS DOING THE SPENDING - AND FOR WHOSE BENEFIT

The level of tax revenues in northwest Fulton have never been the problem. It's who is doing the spending, how, and for the benefit of whom. Currently, government spending policies are set by an Atlanta-majority county commission more interested in jobs programs than efficient, responsive service delivery in northwest Fulton.

After incorporation into the city of Milton, how residents' tax dollars are spent, and for the benefit of whom, will no longer be a problem. Your hard-earned tax dollars will be managed by elected friends and neighbors and remain local to make needed infrastructure and service delivery improvements.

4. UGA STUDY SHOWED SURPLUS WHEN MILTON BENCHMARKED TO SIMILAR CITIES

Last year, I obtained approval for a $175,000 grant from the state to fund a UGA study of the proposed incorporations of Milton and Johns Creek. The UGA study did not evaluate the efficiency in Fulton County's profligate spending habits. The authors emphasized this point in their report. The report evaluated Fulton's expenditures on services, not costs, which (as any businessperson knows) are two very different things.


The study also evaluated how Milton's tax revenues would compare to three similarly-sized suburban Georgia cities and whether Milton could match up in service delivery. In this section of the study, Milton showed a surplus in every instance, which could be used to increase service delivery levels or make infrastructure improvements over time.


5. FULTON WASTES OUR TAX DOLLARS

Separately, I benchmarked Fulton's expenditures to nearby cities and counties for city-like services (to Milton) and expenditures for general services countywide. I was appalled.

For example, Fulton County has the distinction of spending 100 percent more per resident on libraries than the state average. It's circulation service level, though, is less than the state average. Similar findings are true at every level and in every department.


This is the county that manages to tax and spend more per resident for general services than any other Georgia county, but offers less in roads improvements, jail or courtroom security or tax assessor integrity. The fact that Fulton spends more per resident doesn't mean it costs more to deliver services. Fulton's expenditures bear no relation to actual, efficient costs.


6. FINALLY

Creating the city of Milton means financial and land-use independence from Fulton County, which a good and needed thing. Fulton has forgotten who should be government's master and who should be its servant.


Viva la independence on July 18. I encourage you to vote.

Best-
Jan Jones - janjones38@bellsouth.net

State Representative - District 46