Superior Court judge allows tax collection in Fulton County after administrative debacle
A Superior Court judge is allowing Fulton County to temporarily collect taxes despite the county not having all the information needed for billing in the 2026 tax year.
Last month, Fulton County leaders were racing to find a solution to a potential property tax problem.
"Without that money, we couldn't run county government, school systems couldn't pay their teachers, things of that nature," Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts said.
According to a petition filed in Superior Court, the Fulton County Board of Assessors had not finished processing land splits and consolidations.
The petition said the value of all real and personal property had not been fully assessed, which meant taxes for 2026 could not be billed or collected.
Pitts said the impact could have been devastating.
"This is what we depend upon for our revenue," Pitts said. "That's where our money comes from. It's not our revenue; it's the taxpayers' money. They pay for services that we provide here at the county, pay for services that the various cities, the 15 cities, provide, as well as the school systems."
The petition, filed in July, asked the court to authorize the immediate and temporary collection of taxes despite the county not having all the information needed for the 2026 tax year.
"We had an option to not do anything, which would have been chaotic, or to go to court to get the temporary collection order," Pitts said.
On Tuesday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram authorized the temporary collection of taxes for Fulton County, municipalities, boards of education, independent school districts and community improvement districts located either partially or entirely within the county.
The order specifies that property tax bills will combine property values, exemptions and credits from the incomplete 2026 tax digest with the 2025 millage rates.
"We've been through this before. It's not the first time for this rodeo, so things worked out well for us," Pitts said.
CBS Atlanta reached out to Fulton County Schools. The district provided the following statement:
"Fulton County Schools (FCS) appreciates Judge Ingram's decision to grant the Temporary Collection Order (TCO). This provides an important step toward allowing property tax bills to be issued and gives the district greater certainty as we plan for the local revenue that funds more than 60% of our operating budget.
"While this decision moves the process forward, questions remain regarding the potential need for adjusted tax bills once the 2026 tax digest is finalized. We recognize the uncertainty this process has created for our community and will continue providing updates as additional information becomes available.
"The Board of Education is expected to discuss the current status and next steps during its Board Work Session on August 11."
Pitts said county leaders also plan to meet with the Board of Assessors to express their concerns and determine what steps can be taken to prevent the problem from happening again.
The county still needs to finalize its tax digest. A tax digest is a list of property owners, the assessed value of their properties and the taxes imposed on those properties.
The judge's order will expire once the Georgia revenue commissioner approves Fulton County's 2026 tax digest. Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell are excluded from the order.
Tax bills are scheduled to be mailed Aug. 15, with payments due Oct. 15. Pitts said taxpayers whose bills are correct will receive only one bill. If a bill needs to be adjusted, the taxpayer will receive a second bill that could be higher or lower.
