The proposed 2027 budget keeps the city tax rate at 3.85 mills and cuts two full-time jobs, while health insurance jumps 21%. Hearings are Nov. 3 and Nov. 17.
Brookhaven’s proposed 2027 budget would keep the city’s property tax rate at 3.85 mills. The city released it Tuesday. The main operating budget, the General Fund, would grow 6.7% to $45,564,082.
City Manager Christian Sigman’s budget message says the plan adds no new or expanded programs. It cuts some spending and staffing to balance, and the number of full-time positions falls by two. The figures are in the 2027 Proposed Budget and the city’s announcement on Tuesday.
The City Council holds public hearings at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Tuesday, Nov. 17, at City Centre, 4001 Peachtree Road NE. It is due to vote after the second hearing.
Where the extra money goes
Pay and benefits for the city’s 217 full-time employees rise by $1,497,574, the budget message says. Most of the growth comes from a handful of lines:
- Employee health insurance: up $770,470, or 21%. The message cites higher than normal claims in recent years and 22 more people on the plan.
- Pay raises: $645,000 for 3% performance-based raises.
- Public Works contracts: up $568,621.
- 911 and police dispatch: the city’s payment to its 911 fund rises $506,829. The city says that is required under its contract with the Chattahoochee River 911 Authority, known as ChatComm.
- City elections: $100,000 for the 2027 municipal elections.
Police take the largest share of the General Fund, at 39.1%, according to the city’s 24-page Budget in Brief. Parks and Recreation is next at 9.9%. Taxes bring in 84.6% of the money.
What it means for your tax bill
The city’s operating rate stays at 3.85 mills. That rate rose for the first time in the city’s 14-year history this year. The budget message puts the 2026 increase at about $355 a year for an $800,000 homesteaded home.
The Budget in Brief estimates the average city tax bill on a homesteaded home in 2027 at $861. Two other things could change what you pay:
- A one-time credit ends. 2026 county tax bills carried a one-time Equalized Homestead Option Sales Tax credit for homesteaded properties. The budget message says it will not be available for 2027. Your 2026 credit is listed on the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s website.
- A senior exemption is on the ballot. A referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot would raise the senior homestead exemption from $500,000 to $600,000 of appraised value. If voters approve it, eligible seniors would save another $154 a year on city taxes from 2027, the city says. That would take their total savings from $770 to $924. Our voting guide has polling place details.
The city’s share is the smallest part of a Brookhaven tax bill. The DeKalb County School District and DeKalb County take most of it. The Budget in Brief puts the total rate at 41.469 mills, the second lowest of the cities it lists in DeKalb County. Only Dunwoody, about six miles north, is lower, at 40.199 mills. Chamblee, about three miles northeast, is at 44.883.
Roads, trails and the capital budget
The proposed capital budget is $6.2 million. The city’s announcement lists:
- $2 million for repaving
- more sidewalk infill and ADA work
- bids to build the roundabout at Windsor Parkway and Ashford Dunwoody Road
- more street sign replacement
- bids to build Phase II of the Peachtree Creek Greenway, and design of Phase III
- more design work on the Peachtree Creek Connector Bridge over Interstate 85
The Budget in Brief says Greenway Phase II construction is scheduled to begin in 2027. On Tuesday night the City Council approved a land deal for that stretch of trail.
How to have your say
Council members are holding community meetings on the budget:
| When | Who | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 | Mayor Pro Tem John Funny, District 4 | Planning, Engineering and Permitting Building, 2665 Buford Highway |
| 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29 | Council member Michael Diaz, District 1 | Murphey Candler Park Baseball Field House, 1551 W. Nancy Creek Trail |
| 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2 | Council member Madeleine Simmons, District 3 (“Mondays with Madeleine”) | City Centre, 4001 Peachtree Road NE |
| 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10 | Council member Conor Sen, District 2 | City Centre, 4001 Peachtree Road NE |
What it means for you
- Read it: the full budget runs to more than 350 pages. The 24-page Budget in Brief is the quicker read, and the city says printed copies are free at city buildings.
- Comment: the public hearings are at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Tuesday, Nov. 17, at City Centre. The city says people can also take part online.
- Ask a question: the city takes budget questions and suggestions by email at 2027Budget@BrookhavenGA.gov.
- Vote: the senior exemption referendum is on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Have your say