Fulton County commissioners heard public testimony on a proposed 8.87-mill property tax rate and locked in employee healthcare coverage for 2027 at a special meeting Wednesday, Sept. 30.

The proposed General Fund millage rate would hold flat for a fifth straight year, according to a county press release. But the Sept. 30 session was a public hearing, not a final vote. Commissioners are scheduled to take a final vote at their regular meeting Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Two residents spoke at the hearing: Dorothy Simpson, who addressed property and tax parcels, and Devin Barrington-Ward, who spoke about the Atlanta City Detention Center, according to the meeting agenda.

Because the 2026 rollback rate is 8.822 mills, Georgia law requires the county to advertise 8.87 mills as a 0.54% property tax increase over the rollback rate. The rate itself is unchanged from 2025. District 1 Commissioner Bridget Thorne, who represents Sandy Springs, explained the distinction on her official Facebook page in September when the board voted to advertise the rate.

The entire millage process ran months behind schedule. A backlog of 292 unprocessed land packages delayed the countywide tax digest, and the Tax Commissioner's office sent out interim property tax bills Aug. 15. In July, Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whitmore told commissioners her office had hoped to propose the millage rate sooner, but the unfinished digest made that impossible, Appen Media reported.

Commissioner Bob Ellis, who also represents Sandy Springs, called the delay "a failure that impacts us and all of our jurisdictions" at that July meeting.

Separately, commissioners approved a one-year contract renewal with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to administer employee healthcare plans for 2027. The deal is the second of four renewal options under the original contract. It covers point-of-service, HMO, Medicare and consumer-driven health plans, plus pharmacy benefits, and takes effect Jan. 1.

The Anthem portion had been carved out of a broader healthcare benefits vote on Sept. 16, when Commissioner Ellis and Commissioner Dana Barrett moved to exclude the Anthem-related components. The board handled the Anthem piece separately at the Sept. 30 special meeting, approving it as amended. Commissioners also approved 2027 premium rates for the Anthem medical and pharmacy plans. Specific dollar amounts were not listed in the agenda.

Thorne hosted a virtual town hall Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for residents to ask questions about the proposed rate before the final vote.