June 11, 2017

Following is a letter sent to Milton’s Mayor and City Council.  It is critical that Milton’s elected officials present a unified front and advocate forcefully for citizens.  Unfortunately, the pain being inflicted on some of our most vulnerable citizens is seen as an opportunity by some politicians to lift their sagging political fortunes.  Posturing by some in the political class is undermining the citizens’ position against the recent arbitrary and inflated property appraisals.  Town hall meetings provide an opportunity for citizens to be heard and to obtain useful information.  Politicians in the audience need to be in listening mode, not delivering pandering, self-serving speeches.

Following is a link to the video of the raucous, overflowing town hall meeting held June 7th in Alpharetta.  Commissioner Ellis did an excellent job of presenting the facts and advocating for citizens.  And he listened.

June 7th Town Hall Meeting with Commissioner Ellis

Cue to 1:23:30 to view Milton Council Member Matt Kunz’s grandstanding speech . . . yes, that’s Matt Kunz . . . in case you did not catch his name the first time . . . or second time.  Milton deserves better than this.

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June 11, 2017

Dear Mr. Mayor and City Council:

As you know, Fulton County recently sent out 2017 property tax appraisals.  The median tax appraisal rose by 13%.  However, 20% of Fulton residents saw an increase of more than 50%.  Residents of the City of Milton were hit disproportionately hard by the tax increase.  A supporter of the Milton Coalition sent me an analysis of one area of North Fulton, where both the mean and median increase was 56%.  And raw land appraisals skyrocketed; the average increase for 4 undeveloped parcels was a whopping 178%.

Immediately, citizens began contacting the Milton Coalition, pleading with us to advocate on behalf of citizens.  And we took up the call, when many elected representatives were still clueless to the coming tsunami of public outrage.  We began posting to our social media sites on May 31^st—a day after assessments came out.  We did our first blog post on June 2^nd and posted the following seven-point plan:

• An admission by Fulton County that there may be serious problems plaguing our tax assessment process.
• A freeze on all assessments until a thorough investigation of the assessment process is completed. This means that 2016 assessments would remain in effect pending the outcome of an investigation.
• A report showing average appraisal increases by area, down to the subdivision. This will substantiate our claims that certain areas have been unfairly targeted for tax increases.
• Increased visibility into the algorithm used to assess property values. Citizens have a right to know “how the sausage gets made.”
• A full investigation of the tax assessment process by an independent third party.
• Calculation and dissemination of new assessments based on the recommendations from a third-party investigator.
• Reforms to the assessment process to make it fair to citizens. For example, we believe that there should be a cap on the rate at which assessments can increase year over year (subject to certain conditions—e.g., no improvements to the home, adjustments in square footage).

It seems that most, if not all, of these actions have been taken or are now being advocated by Fulton County Commissioners.  We have published blog posts every day for the last 10 days.  Of course, myself and another citizen spoke at Council on June 5^th.  I was disappointed that Council had so little to say about the tax increase at that meeting.

I also attended Commissioner Ellis’s town hall meeting on June 7^th.  As you know, every seat was taken and citizens lined the back and sides of the room.  Citizens waited at the doorway to get in and a separate holding room was created for the huge overflow of citizens.  A few local politicians were in attendance to listen.  However, one Milton City Council member, Matt Kunz, decided to give a political speech.  I have 2 objections to this.

First, town hall meetings are for citizens.  Their role is to speak and the role of elected officials is to listen.  The other politicians in the audience at Commissioner Ellis’s town hall understood this; Milton City Council Member Kunz did not.  In other venues, such as City Council meetings, elected officials have almost unlimited opportunity to speak.  Town halls are for citizens!

Second, and more importantly, the comments by Council Member Kunz actually served to undermine citizens’ position on the unfair tax appraisals, which is to freeze appraisals at 2016 levels.  At the end of the day, the tax appraisal issue involves negotiation.  The first rule in Negotiations 101 is NEVER NEGOTIATE WITH YOURSELF.  Proposals to lower the millage rate in Milton only serve to take the heat off the Board of Assessors.  (I am attaching an article that I co-wrote several years ago on negotiation, which I sometimes teach my clients.)  Right now, we have the Board of Assessors on the ropes . . . it is no time to pull our punches.  The singular focus needs to be on rescission of the 2017 appraisals.  Focus on more tangential issues and longer-term solutions dilutes arguments for tax justice and fairness.

And does anyone really believe lowering Milton’s millage rate is going to keep seniors and others on limited incomes in their homes?  Millage rates apply across the board, so provide equal relief to those who were socked with high appraisals and those (and there were a few) who saw their appraisals reduced.  Playing politics with the finances of our most vulnerable citizens is frankly unconscionable.

And shouldn’t our City Council be speaking with one voice?  Is Council divided on this issue?  Council Member Kunz indicated the he and 2 other Council Members had met about lowering the millage rate.  Why are these Council Members meeting on Milton’s millage rates, which is relatively minor in the big scheme of things, instead of strategizing on the dominant issue of arbitrary and inflated appraisals?  The perception of a divided City Council undermines our negotiating position.

I recommend the following to Council.

1. Dispense with the politics and pandering and focus on rolling back the 2017 appraisals.
2. Call a special session of City Council to develop a unanimous position on the rescission of the appraisals (and perhaps longer-term solutions) to issues of tax equity.
3. Enlist the support of your colleagues in other municipalities, at the state level, and within the County Commission. Our City Council members need to be working this issue 24X7.  Maximum pressure needs to be exerted.
4. Attend Liz Hausmann’s town hall meeting on June 14^th and be in listen mode.
5. Address the Fulton County Board of Assessors on June 15^th to press the case firmly for a rescission of 2017 appraisals. I recommend Council speak through 1 person—the mayor.

Council, this issue is too important to your constituents for you to hang back, or worse to use the situation for political gain.  Many of your most vulnerable constituents are feeling a lot of pain right now.  They passionately spoke in droves at Commissioner Ellis’s town hall.  Council needs to feel citizens’ pain and start advocating forcefully for them.

Thank you for considering my perspectives and recommendations.

Advocating For Citizens,

Tim Becker

The Milton Coalition:  Advocating for clean, competent, courageous, and citizen-centric government