Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA–The Georgia Department of Labor announced on Thursday, Aug. 21, that the 29-county Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded an unemployment rate of 3.5% in July, down one-tenth from a revised 3.6% in June. A year ago, the rate was 3.7%.  “Our greatest strength is our people and the businesses that call Georgia home,” said Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “July’s unemployment numbers show progress across most metro areas, and even where there are slight upticks, year-over-year trends reflect our resilience. By investing in our workforce and supporting a strong environment for business, Georgia will continue to win and drive economic growth for…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners this week adopted the same general fund millage rate as last year, 6.95 mills. Before the Aug. 19 vote, the commissioners received public comments online and in-person at three public hearings. Property taxes are based on millage rates set by county government, school systems and cities. One mill equals a dollar tax per thousand dollars of assessed property value.  The Gwinnett County Tax Assessor calculates the total value of all taxable property in the county, which is called the tax digest, by conducting annual updates of residential and commercial property values.…

Elijah Malik Hyams and Kyla Aolani Milling, both 32, were found guilty last week of two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of terroristic threats, first-degree felony criminal damage to property, second-degree felony criminal damage to property, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for shooting out the windows of the victim’s car in September 2021. Both Milling and Hyams were sentenced to 15 years in prison. “The defendants could have killed or seriously injured someone,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “It is a blessing that the victims were unharmed. The use of guns is endangering the safety of our…

ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta Office of the Municipal Clerk announced that 33 candidates filed their paperwork on Tuesday, Aug. 19,  to run in Atlanta’s upcoming municipal elections, officially opening the city’s four-day qualifying period. Qualifying for the Nov. 4 election continues through Friday, Aug. 22. Atlanta Mayor Andre’ Dickens drew one contender on Day 1, while  the City Council District 11 emerged as the most crowded race so far with five challengers. The Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education has three seats open.  Atlanta’s municipal election includes a mix of  community leaders and 12 incumbents running for re-election: Mayor Andre…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–– Rockdale County homeowners and businesses will see a slight drop in property taxes next year after the Board of Commissioners’ unanimous decision on Tuesday, Aug. 19, to lower the county’s millage rate from 18.69 to 18.284 for 2025.  Local governments use millage rate to calculate property taxes with one mill equal to $1of tax for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. Rockdale’s portion of the overall tax bill funds essential county services including public safety courts, roads, and the county’s general operations.  Other portions of the millage rate are set  by the Rockdale County Board of…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– The DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office recently began mailing nearly 250,000 property tax bills to property owners for the 2025 tax year. Owners who signed up for e-Alerts may also check their email for billing notifications. Bills can be accessed online at https://publicaccess.dekalbcountyga.gov. “A sample bill, including what you need to know about your tax bill, frequently asked questions and payment methods, is available online at DeKalbTax.org,” said Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson. “I highly encourage taxpayers to consider online payment, pay-by-phone and secure drop box options to avoid long lines and wait times when paying in person.” Taxpayers can pay…

CONYERS, GA–Qualifying for three seats on the Conyers City Council opened today, Aug.18, and will close on Friday, Aug. 22. City voters will elect a mayor and City Council members for District 1 and District 2, Post 1.   Those qualifying for the seats will be on the ballot for the Nov. 4 municipal election. Qualifying times Aug. 18-22 are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Conyers City Hall, 901 O’Kelly Street, Conyers, GA. The qualifying fee for mayor is $306, and the fee for the City Council seats is $252.   For more information, contact City Clerk Nicole Holsomback at nicole.holsomback@conyersga.gov…

CONYERS, GA—The Conyers City Council has announced its intention to increase the 2025 property taxes it will levy this year by 18.05 percentage over the rollback millage rate.  City officials say the tax increase is necessary due to the inflationary cost of providing city services. When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred. The budget tentatively adopted by the Conyers City Council requires a millage rate higher than the…