Milton To Residents: Appeal Property Assessments If You Disagree

MILTON, GA — Milton property owners who have received their 2018 Fulton County property tax assessments are informing the city of "significant increases" in assessed values, the city said on Friday.

In turn, the city of Milton notes that if you are one of many property owners suffering from sticker shock and take issue with the increase, you are encouraged to embark on the appeal process with Fulton County.

"This is a critical first step for every homeowner in 2018," the city said.

The county mailed the 2018 assessments on May 22. You should note that the 2018 assessment is not a bill, and you have the opportunity to file an appeal if you believe the notice does not represent the fair market value of the property.

Property owners have 45 days after the assessment notice date to appeal the value, and that can be done in person, online or by mail. According to the county, it may take some time to resolve an appeal once a challenge has been filed. If an appeal is pending at the time tax bills are mailed, a property owner can choose to pay 85 or 100 percent of that bill.

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While it's not directly responsible for property tax assessments, the city of Milton is working to keep its residents up to date on the process. Mayor Joe Lockwood and City Council members "will be closely monitoring the situation again this year, and will likely be in contact with the Fulton County Board of Commissioners," the city added.

"This situation is evolving daily, and we will do our best to share information as it becomes available," it said.

The city is also reminding citizens that the 2017 county tax digest has yet to be approved by the Georgia Department of Revenue, as it involved litigation between the county and the state. This hold-up is why your 2017 Milton property tax invoice read "Temporary Tax Bill" at the top right corner.

"At this time, we are unsure as to how that unresolved legal matter may or may not impact the 2018 digest," Milton continued. "The city of Milton must first receive the approved tax digest from Fulton County in order to bill Milton property taxes."

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The millage rate is set each year by the Milton City Council and is typically on the meeting agenda for some time during the month of August. Since the rate is set by the authority of the City Council, you should note that staff members can't predict or offer details regarding the 2018 millage rate.

Again, the first step following receipt of your assessed value for 2018 is to determine whether an appeal is warranted, and if so, you can learn more about that process by visiting the Fulton County website.

If you have additional questions, email propertytaxes@cityofmiltonga.us or call 678-242-2511.

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