Your property tax bill is going up this year. If you live in Unicorporated DeKalb (not in a city), on average your taxes are increasing 6.7% this year. The increase property evaluations this year for cities (incorporated DeKalb) is surprising.
PROPERTY TAX BILL CALCULATION
Your DeKalb Schools Tax Bill = ([Property Value] x [Assessment Rate]) – Exemptions) x [Millage Rate]
[Property Value] is the full market value appraised by the Assessors.
[Assessment Rate] is 40% for all properties in Georgia
DeKalb Schools [Millage Rate]: 23.18/1000 (county and cities have additional millage rates)
TAX INCREASES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
This is the total expected tax increases (including county, city, school and exemptions) on average in your area.
| DeKalb Municipality | Total Property Taxes Increase |
|---|---|
| UNINCORPORATED | 6.7% |
| AVONDALE | 0.7% |
| BROOKHAVEN | -0.4% |
| CHAMBLEE | 8.5% |
| CLARKSTON | 21.9% |
| DUNWOODY | 1.2% |
| DORAVILLE | 0.9% |
| LITHONIA | -8.0% |
| PINE LAKE | 2.2% |
| STONE MTN | 16.5% |
| TUCKER | 6.9% |
| STONECREST | 7.8% |
Including new development, property tax collections are increasing by 6.82%. In order for the school district to collect the same revenue as last year, they would need to roll back (decrease) the millage rate by 1.477 mills. Spending is out of control at the school district, so I do not anticipate any millage rate decreases this year.
I’m surprised that Avondale and Dunwoody will see very little tax increases this year. I’m astonished that Brookhaven taxes on average will be going down this year. I wonder if these areas were overestimated last year and this is a correction. Tax assessors will be at next Tuesday’s County Commissioner FAB meeting, I’ll see if I can introduce myself and get some answers.
NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE
The DeKalb County School District has tentatively adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 6.81 percent.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing on this tax increase to be held at 11:30 a.m. June 10, 2019, DeKalb County School District J. David Williamson Board Room, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, Georgia
Times and places of additional public hearings on this tax increase are at:
6:15 p.m. June 10, 2019, DeKalb County School District J. David Williamson Board Room, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, Georgia
6:15 p.m. June 25, 2019, DeKalb County School District J. David Williamson Board Room, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, Georgia
This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 23.18 mills, an increase of 1.477 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more than 21.703 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $250,000 is approximately $129.24 and the proposed tax increase for nonhomestead property with a fair market value of $400,000 is approximately $236.32.
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
I can’t help but wonder if the reason Dunwoody property taxes are increasing by such a small amount is due to properties being undervalued. When we received our tax bill a few weeks ago, I was shocked to see that our house is now appraised less than what we purchased it for in November 2015.
I’ve heard that the real engine for property tax generation in Dekalb County is Perimeter Mall and the surrounding shopping and office buildings. I would expect that with the construction in that area over the last few years taxes should be skyrocketing, yet revenues are only up 1.2% in Dunwoody. Something seems wrong to me.
Stan,
I live in Clarkston and this is ridiculus. DeKalb County School System is spending too much on the central office folks. Why seven, not five regions? Nothing changed for the parents and community but more people to deal with in getting something done. I am very frustrated at the lack of communication. Does anyone return calls or emails in 24 hours?
Stan,
It needs to be written that certain positions require a person to reside in DeKalb County. There are many principals, directors, executives… that do not live in DeKalb yet get $100,000 plus salaries. They need to share in the tax increase. I will appeal my tax assessment. The spending is out of control. Please remove the unnecessary positions in central office.
Hopefully, the School Board will select a new Superintendent that will eliminate positions that are not essential and place priorities on the classroom. We have shuffled people from jobs in which they could not perform into created positions to avoid terminating them. Yes, cut the number of districts back to five, eliminate positions, and help taxpayers.
“If you live in Unincorporated DeKalb (not in a city)…”
Technically it only applies to those areas in DeKalb that are not within the city limits of Atlanta or DeKalb. Those folks pay their school taxes to either APS or CSD.
If you live in Dunwoody, Chamblee, Tucker, Stonecrest, etc., you still pay your school taxes to DCSD – and those taxes will be going up.