Sandy Springs homeowners should expect two property tax bills this year after a Fulton County judge cleared the way for interim tax collection, resolving a weeks-long cash-flow crisis that threatened to delay teacher paychecks across the school district.

Judge Shukura L. Ingram issued an order authorizing Fulton County to collect 2026 property taxes using 2025 millage rates and 2026 assessed property values, even though the county's tax digest remains incomplete and unapproved by the Georgia Department of Revenue. The ruling, confirmed by 11Alive on Thursday, Aug. 6, means Fulton County Schools can avoid borrowing money to cover payroll and operating costs as the new school year begins.

"I don't see any plausible scenario where taxpayers won't get two tax bills," Superintendent Mike Looney said at an Aug. 2 board meeting.

Under the order, residents who overpay will be refunded with interest once the final digest is approved. Those who underpay will receive a second bill for the remaining balance, according to Atlanta News First.

What it means for Sandy Springs families

Sandy Springs residents pay Fulton County Schools taxes through the county digest. Unlike Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell, which collect their own municipal taxes and are excluded from the interim order, Sandy Springs is subject to the court-ordered billing.

The school tax portion matters: Fulton County Schools depends on local property taxes for more than 60% of its $2.3 billion budget. The district's millage rate has held at 17.08 for two consecutive years.

County officials said they hope to mail initial bills by Aug. 15, with payment due Oct. 15. Once the state revenue commissioner approves the final digest, a corrected bill will follow.

Commissioner Dana Barrett, who represents parts of Sandy Springs, told Fox 5 Atlanta on Aug. 4 that the order "allows us to go ahead and collect even though we don't have the final numbers." She separately told the AJC that the delay stemmed from "a higher number than normal of land packages that were not processed."

How the backlog happened

The root cause: a backlog of 292 unprocessed land packages representing roughly 1,000 parcels that the Board of Assessors had not yet integrated into the digest. According to Appen Media reporting in late July, only one county employee had been using Esri, the geographic information system that links maps to tax records.

Before the ruling, Looney said the district was prepared to take out a short-term loan to cover bills, including teacher salaries, if the judge denied the request. At the Aug. 2 board meeting, he called the situation "really unconscionable," noting that running a billion-dollar organization without 60% of its revenue solidified was impossible.

What comes next

The Fulton County Board of Education is scheduled to hold a work session on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the FCS North Learning Center in Sandy Springs (450 Northridge Parkway), followed by a vote on the 2026 millage rate on Thursday, Aug. 20. With the interim order in place, the board can proceed toward that vote without a cash-flow emergency hanging over the process.

The final 2026 digest will determine whether Sandy Springs homeowners owe more or less than their interim bill.