City Council Approves Millage Rate

The Lilburn City Council made it official Monday morning: city residents will not see a millage increase for the 2011 tax year.

City officials have said all along that there would not be an increase, even though the council was legally allowed to raise it to make up for decreases in tax revenue brought about by the current economy.

The rate will continue to be 4.26 mills, the city’s rate for about the last half-dozen years.

The council approved the rate at a specially called meeting early Monday at City Hall.

City Manager Bill Johnsa said the rate, which actually will mean a tax decrease for those whose property values have declined, legally could have been raised about a half-mill, called a “revenue neutral” increase.

Instead of raising the rate to help increase revenue in the 2011-12 budget, t. That service had been free to city residents in the past.

“The focus of this budget was really on equity,” Johnsa said.