A6 Fayette County News
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
PTC,
Continued from Front
troduce an item under staff
and council topics, and con
sensus had to be reached in a
public meeting, by mayor and
council, to determine if
further investigation and re
search into the matter was
warranted prior to bringing
the item back for official ac
tion at a subsequent meeting.
Items were not allowed to
be placed or discussed on the
agenda if council had decided
the issue within the previous
180 days.
The newly amended ordi
nance retains the same proto
col for staff requesting adding
items.
The new version of the or
dinance now allows for “any
council member [to] submit a
written request to the city
clerk for inclusion of an item
on the agenda of a regular
council meeting, provided
such request is announced in
council/staff topics at least
one council meeting prior to
the scheduled meeting date.
A motion or item pre
NOTICE OF PROPERTY
TAX INCREASE
The Mayor and Council for the Town of Tyrone,
Georgia have tentatively adopted a millage rate
which will require an increase in property taxes by
1.86% percent in 2025.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public
hearing on this tax increase to be held at the Ty
rone Municipal Complex, 950 Senoia Road, Ty
rone, Georgia 30290 on October 16, 2025 at 7:00
pm.
The times and places of additional public hearings
are at the Tyrone Municipal Complex, 950 Senoia
Road, Tyrone, Georgia 30290 on October 21,
2025 at 9:00 am, and October 23, 2025 at 6:00
pm. Final adoption will be held at a special called
Council meeting on October 23, 2025 at 6:30 pm.
This tentative increase will result in a millage rate
of 2.889 mills, an increase of .063 mills. Without
this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be
no more than 2.826 mills. The proposed tax in
crease for a home with a fair market value of
$525,000 is approximately $13.10 and the pro
posed tax increase for non-homestead property
with a fair market value of $425,000 is approx
imately $10.71.
CURRENT 2025 PROPERTY TAX DIGEST AND 5-YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY
TOWN OF TYRONE
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
REAL & PERSONAL
489,201,170
521,129,376
601,796,842
662,874,823
714,767,510
760,681,785
MOTOR VEHICLE
5,196,310
4,202,760
3,851,020
3,646,170
3,236,200
2,998,310
MOBILE HOMES
50,553
48,793
48,673
48,673
133,440
175,424
TIMBER - 100%
0
0
0
0
0
0
HEAVY DUTY EQUIPMENT
69,573
25,165
19,709
5,542
94,430
69,974
GROSS DIGEST
494,517,606
525,406,094
605,716,244
666,575,208
718,231,580
763,925,493
LESS M&O EXEMPTIONS
17,765,461
16,309,132
15,238,612
20,519,144
21,721,873
54,476,772
NET M&O DIGEST
476,752,145
509,096,962
590,477,632
646,056,064
696,509,707
709,448,721
GROSS M&O MILLAGE
5.700
5.619
5.426
5.515
5.558
5.715
LESS ROLLBACKS
2.811
2.730
2.537
2.626
2.669
2.826
NET M&O MILLAGE
2.889
2.889
2.889
2.889
2.889
2.889
NET TAXES LEVIED
1,377,337
1,470,781
1,705,890
1,866,456
2,012,217
2,049,597
NET TAXES $ INCREASE
80,781
93,444
235,109
160,566
145,761
37,381
NET TAXES % INCREASE
6.23%
6.78%
15.99%
9.41%
7.81%
1.86%
viously decided by council
shall not be placed on the
agenda or brought before the
body within 180 days of its
disposition, except by a
member who voted with the
prevailing side.
“All proposed agenda
items shall be accompanied by
an item description, support
ing documentation, including
draft materials, relevant back
ground information, and
source citations, if applicable,
to be submitted to the city
clerk by the mayor, council
members, or city staff prior to
publication of the meeting
agenda packet.”
When the item was intro
duced for discussion on Oct. 2,
Mayor Pro Tem Clint Holland
immediately moved to amend
the ordinance. He stated his
proposed changes serve the
following purposes:
•Safeguard the rights of
council members so none are
denied opportunities to place
items on the agenda for con
sideration.
•Allow for re-addressing
issues if discovered that
changes are necessary, made
only by members of the pre
vailing side.
•Promote transparency
and preparation by requiring
agenda items be disclosed to
council members ahead of
time.
•Ensure availability of
supporting documentation in
cluding drafts and documen
tation materials for review by
council and the public prior to
a meeting.
Councilwoman Laura
Johnson explained she and
Holland had discussed the
issue and she was grateful for
a change and appreciated ad
ditional transparency, rec
ommending additionally
requiring a memo be sub
mitted alongside supporting
documentation.
She also asked if staff had
time to review the proposed
amendment prior to the
meeting, which staff con
firmed. No members of staff
presented objections.
Mayor Kim Learnard ex
pressed her opposition to a
rushed vote, saying she
needed more time to consider.
She claimed she was “just
seeing it for the first time this
morning,” adding that al
though she was “not prepared
to support it, doesn’t mean it
doesn’t have merit.”
Johnson agreed with
Learnard, adding that council
rarely calls for votes during
work sessions.
“Transparency is our goal,
and we want transparency for
council as well,” Johnson
stated. “You have the support
you need, but I think we can
consider it [later].”
Councilwoman Suzanne
Brown said she would accept
tabling the item if potential
changes discussed during the
meeting would be integrated
into the next discussion.
Holland then made a mo
tion to amend his original mo
tion to include requiring an
item description alongside
agenda item requests, which
was approved 3-1 (Learnard
opposed).
While discussing the mo
tion for amending the ordi
nance which was still on the
table, Johnson reiterated she
would be more comfortable
voting in the next meeting and
allowing staff more time to re
view.
With staff stating they did
not see any changes needed
Tyrone,
Continued from Front
“Once this is done, how long
do you anticipate until we are
ready to go?”
‘We have a drinking foun
tain we are going to be install
ing, and we have three sinks
and three toilets. The plumb
ing is basically for all the
bathrooms, there is no other
plumbing but those,” said
Langford. “After this we will
be getting the electrical stuff.
I’m thinking somewhere by
the end of this calendar year.”
Langford cited total proj
ect costs are estimated at
about $200,000.
The meeting continued
with Assistant Town Manager
Phillip Trocquet presenting a
contract revision with Keck
and Wood regarding scope of
services, which was approved.
He stated the original con
tract excluded onsite inspec
tions and reviews of
landscape plans.
“These were services staff
intended to include in the
contract scope but were over
looked,” said Trocquet. “No
change has been made to the
terms of condition of the con
tract or to the hourly rates
that were listed.”
Council then approved a
change order request for Ty-
Langford,
Continued from Front
‘“I am proud of the
record we have built in
Brooks,” Langford said.
“Folks keep finding our little
piece of heaven and settling
here, which must mean
we’ve done something right
to make it so desirable a
place for new residents. I
think there are at least four
components to that trend.
“First, we sincerely
strive to be as un-intrusive a
government presence as
for clarification, Brown noted
the action was a procedural
change for council actions that
can be done again, if needed.
“We have latitude of mak
ing those changes,” she said.
“If we discover something fit
to tweak, we can easily do
that. It’s not like putting in a
full ordinance.”
Prior to calling for a vote,
Learnard said her final
thought was that there was
merit to the proposed amend
ment but opposed rushing a
vote and noted she could not
support it since she first saw
the proposal that morning.
The amended ordinance
was approved, 3-1, with Lear
nard in opposition.
In other business, council:
•Adopted the 2025 official
intent resolution (reimburse
ment resolution) that will
allow the city to seek reim
bursement through the Gov
ernment Finance Corporation
financing process for
budgeted expenditures made
prior to the actual financing
arrangement.
According to city staff, the
resolution follows approval of
the Fiscal Year 2026 budget
and is adopted to include, in
future financing, any money
paid directly or indirectly by
rone’s incoming Shamrock
Park Pavilion project regard
ing contracted time of sub
stantial completion. Terms
are now set from Oct. 1 to Oct.
31, with no additional cost as
sociated with the delay.
Delays reportedly oc
curred due to issues like
weather and third-party ma
terial delivery complications.
Associated companies have
confirmed with staff that they
are confident in this extension
to be able to complete the
project.
“Do we really need this?”
asked Campbell.
“We do require [change
orders]. They are necessary
because, essentially, they are
amendments to the contract,”
said Trocquet.
“Do we ever put a penalty
clause if they don’t meet their
date?” questioned Campbell.
“These are not penalties,
they are liquidated damages,”
clarified Town Attorney Den
nis Davenport.
During public comments,
a resident expressed concerns
about living next to a “board
ing house” and requested as
sistance from council to help
mitigate issues.
“I stay next door to a
boarding house,” he stated. “I
have a wife and three small
children, and that is some-
possible. We are a com
munity where nearly every
one knows everyone else,
and heavy-handed govern
ment tactics that might
seem normal elsewhere
would be inappropriate
here - we have to live with
the folks we’re governing,
and have to be able to look
them in the eye and explain
our decisions when we meet
on the main street, in
church, in the post office, or
wherever our paths might
cross, which we do.
“Secondly, we are a very
the general fund prior to fi
nancing of expenditures for
projects to be financed under
the lease/purchase plan.
•Adopted a resolution au
thorizing staff to submit the
city’s 2025 capital improve
ments element annual update
to Atlanta Regional Commis
sion and Georgia Department
of Community Affairs for re
view and approved. The an
nual submittal is required to
retain status as a Qualified
Local Government.
•Approved a new alcohol
license request for Smore
Bake Standard at 310 Willow-
bend Road, represented by
Cole Isaacson.
Staff stated the new busi
ness will serve baked goods
and plans to offer cake baking
and decorating classes, for
which wine will be served,
prompting the need for an al
cohol license.
•Approved a new qualified
location permit for Let’s Go
Pickleball, located at 1001
Moba Drive, Suite A. Staff
stated the business does not
sell or serve alcohol during
daily operations, but the QLP
allows the company to apply
for special event alcohol per
mits when necessary.
thing I just don’t want to tol
erate.”
He expressed how his
family has been impacted
negatively and how it is be
coming a growing issue due to
previous incidents with other
residents that occupy the
space.
In other business:
Council awarded a con
tract to Goodwyn Mills Ca
wood, LLC for engineering
services associated with Han
dley Park Public Works
Building project’s electrical
design at a cost not to exceed
$5,000.
•Town Manager Brandon
Perkins presented a request
from AMWaste to implement
an upcoming rate increase
based on the consumer price
index, which was approved.
Perkins cited an increase
of 6.3 percent, raising prices
per quarter from $65.85 to
$70.
According to staff re
search, $70 is still lower than
rates for customers in New
nan, Fairburn, and Peachtree
City, and a quote from Pollard
Sanitation returned at $73
per quarter.
“AMWaste will send noti
fications to customers during
the first week of December of
this year,” said Perkins.
conservative government
from a fiscal standpoint.
The Town of Brooks has no
debt at any time, except for
recurring bills that have just
come in and not yet been
paid, and we have adequate
cash reserves. We are his
torically very hesitant to in
crease property taxes, and
we try to run as lean a gov
ernment as we possibly can.
“Thirdly, I am proud to
say that Brooks is just plain
pretty. It almost seems at
times that our downtown is
sort of a Norman Rockwell
scene in real time, it’s so pic
turesque. This well-
scrubbed appearance has
taken a long time to accom
plish, and it’s a fur cry’ (as
we say in the South) from
the rather down-at-the-
heels look much of Brooks
had for many years.
“From our retro-looking
downtown streetlights and
our brick sidewalks to our
character-laden old build
ings that gleam with good
care and keeping, down-
town Brooks is beautiful.
And as someone who has
known Brooks for all his 62
years, I can assure readers
that has not always been the
case.
“Finally, I think most
folks in Brooks would say
the mayor and council are
just ordinary folks who try
to do what they believe is
best for the people of
Brooks, with all the discern
ment, common sense, inte
grity, and decency they are
able to bring to the task.
“I believe my good
record stands for itself, and
I respectfully ask for your
vote on Nov. 4,” Langford
concluded.
