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Fulton County Set To Deliver Tax Bills After Judge’s Order

August 12th, 2019

Fulton County Tax Commissioner Arthur Ferdinand announced Monday that tax bills will go out to residents this week.

Emil Moffatt / WABE

For the past three years, Fulton County has been forced to seek a judge’s order before it’s able to send out tax bills.

Those delays put a strain on Atlanta Public Schools, for example, which depends on tax revenue to pay the bills.

It started in 2017 when Georgia’s Department of Revenue rejected the county’s tax digest in a dispute over property values.

That dispute was resolved in July, however, meaning the past two digests should be approved, according to Fulton County Tax Commissioner Arthur Ferdinand.

“Then when that’s done, 2019 should be approved, and then we should have business as usual going forward,” Ferdinand said.

This year’s temporary collection order was approved by a judge Friday, meaning tax bills for most Fulton County residents should hit mailboxes this week.

The only county residents who won’t receive tax bills this week will be in Johns Creek, which has yet to approve its millage rate.

And Atlanta Public Schools likely won’t have to borrow as much money as it first thought in order to make ends meet.

“They may not have to borrow as much at this time,” said Ferdinand, “because bills are going to be out there and people who are conscious of the school board’s plight and love the school board can pay their bills right now.”

Atlanta residents have until Sept. 30 to pay their tax bills. The rest of the county will have an Oct. 15 due date.

Ferdinand says the county expects to collect $2.5 billion in revenue this year, a slight increase from last year.

At a press conference Monday afternoon at the Fulton County Government Center, county officials wheeled out dozens of boxes of tax bills ready to be mailed. The boxes were placed near the podium where Ferdinand spoke.