What North Atlanta Should Know Today: 9 Stories for Monday, July 27

Two major decisions are before local leaders today: Johns Creek is expected to set its property-tax rate, while Roswell considers the long-range plan that will guide its growth through 2045. School-tax hearings, assessment appeals and several neighborhood-level development questions are also approaching important deadlines.

Here are the 10 North Atlanta stories worth knowing today.

1. Johns Creek Is Expected to Set Its Tax Rate Tonight

The Johns Creek City Council is scheduled to hold its final millage-rate hearing at 7 p.m. Monday, followed by an expected vote on the city’s 2026 property-tax rate.

The city proposes retaining its current rate of 3.492 mills. Because that is higher than the state-calculated rollback rate of 3.297 mills, the proposal must be advertised as a 5.91 percent tax increase. The rate itself would remain unchanged, but rising assessments would allow the city to collect more revenue.

Johns Creek’s estimated taxable-property digest has increased from approximately $8.87 billion to $9.06 billion. The meeting will be held at City Hall, 11360 Lakefield Drive. Johns Creek millage-rate information

2. Roswell’s 2045 Growth Plan Reaches a Public Hearing

Roswell’s City Council will hold a public hearing Monday on the city’s updated 2045 Comprehensive Plan, a document that will influence development, housing, transportation and land-use decisions for years.

Recent council discussions have focused on protecting established single-family neighborhoods, addressing housing affordability, strengthening economic development and determining how emerging land uses such as data centers should be handled. Leaders have discussed possible standards covering data-center energy use, noise, buffers and conditional-use approval.

The hearing begins at 7 p.m. at Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill Street. Council members could then authorize the plan’s submission for state and regional review. Roswell meeting information

3. Gwinnett School-Tax Hearings Are Happening Today

Gwinnett County Public Schools will hold the first two hearings Monday on the property-tax rates supporting its newly approved budget.

The proposed rates remain at 18.70 mills for operations and 1.45 mills for debt service. Despite being numerically unchanged, the rates must be advertised as a tax increase because reassessments could generate additional revenue.

Hearings are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center, 437 Old Peachtree Road NW in Suwanee. A third hearing and final adoption are scheduled for 6 p.m. August 3. GCPS millage-rate details

4. Fulton’s Assessment-Appeal Deadline Is Friday

Most Fulton County property owners have until Friday, July 31, to appeal their 2026 assessments, unless a different date appears on the individual notice.

The deadline affects homeowners and businesses across Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton and Roswell. Owners should verify the fair-market value, property description and exemptions shown on their notices before deciding whether to appeal.

Fulton Commissioner Maggie Goldman is holding an online tax-appeal workshop at noon Monday, with another session scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday. Appeals may be filed online, by mail or through a Board of Assessors office. Fulton County assessment information and workshop details

5. A Failing Retaining Wall Is Going Before Peachtree Corners Officials

A Peachtree Corners homeowners association is seeking permission to replace a deteriorating retaining wall that could affect five townhomes in the Medlock Pointe community.

The approximately 20-year-old timber wall at 3560 Medlock Bridge Road ranges from two to seven feet high. According to the application, it has deteriorated beyond repair and is threatening the structural integrity of an adjoining townhome building.

The association wants to remove the wall and replace it with a fill slope inside an existing construction buffer. The project would require approximately 25 to 35 truckloads of fill and the removal of about 13 non-specimen trees, followed by new screening and landscaping. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, July 28. Peachtree Corners land-use cases and project application

6. A Large Mixed-Use Development Is Proposed in Duluth

Developer Portman has proposed a major mixed-use community near Pleasant Hill Road and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Duluth.

Initial plans call for as many as 1,400 residences—including apartments, townhomes and detached houses—along with approximately 80,000 square feet of commercial space and 100,000 square feet of medical offices.

The project remains in an early review and rezoning phase, meaning its size, traffic plan and final mixture of uses could change. If approved substantially as proposed, however, it would be one of the more consequential development projects underway in the Duluth area. Atlanta Journal-Constitution development report

7. North Fulton Families Are Entering the Final Week Before School

Fulton County students return Monday, August 3, placing families across Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton and Roswell in the final week of summer break.

Many campuses will hold open houses or student-orientation events this week, but schedules vary by school and grade. Families should check their individual school’s website for arrival times, transportation details and any registration documents that must be completed beforehand.

The year also begins with Georgia’s new bell-to-bell restriction on personal electronic devices for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Fulton County Schools back-to-school information

8. Milton Is Asking Selected Households to Rate City Services

Approximately 4,000 randomly selected Milton households should begin receiving invitations to participate in the National Community Survey.

The statistically selected survey asks residents to evaluate city services, community conditions and their overall quality of life. Because the households were selected to create a representative sample, each postcard contains a household-specific participation link.

Milton says a separate version will eventually be made available to the broader public. The results will be compared with previous city surveys and national benchmarks to help guide budgeting and service decisions. City of Milton survey announcement

9. Milton’s Legacy Park Will Remain Closed During Improvements

Construction continues at Milton’s Legacy Park, where the city is expanding parking and making several supporting infrastructure improvements.

The work will roughly double the available parking and add asphalt paving, lighting, stormwater controls, septic improvements and a new seating wall. The park remains closed while construction is underway, with completion currently targeted for the end of August.

The expansion is intended to address the parking pressure created by increased use of the park and surrounding recreational facilities. Legacy Park construction update

About the Author

Tsvi Jolles

Author, Editor & Publisher

Tsvi Jolles is the author of seven books and the founder and publisher of North Atlanta Star. He has lived in Cumming for almost a decade.

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