The proposed 2004 General Fund rate is 11.581 mills, which is a reduction of .471 mills from the 2003 rate. This includes a .3 mill reduction and a .171 mill rollback.

The proposed 2004 Bond Fund rate is .066 mills, which is a decrease of .204 mills from the 2003 rate. This includes a .20 mill reduction and a .004 mill rollback. Both the General Fund and Bond Fund taxes are paid by property owners countywide.

The proposed 2004 Special Services District Fund millage rate is 4.731 mills, an increase of .424 mills from the 2003 rate, and reflects a realignment from the General Fund and Bond Fund. The Special Services District Fund rate includes a .076 mill rollback and a .5 mill increase. This tax is paid by citizens in the unincorporated portions of the County and funds municipal-type services such as fire, police and parks.

Combined, the General Fund and the Bond Fund millage rate reductions of .675 mills will result in a tax reduction in Fulton County property tax bills for many citizens in the County's 10 municipalities.� For property owners in the unincorporated areas of the County, the General Fund and Bond Fund millage rate reductions will offset the proposed increase in the Special Services District millage rate. This will create a lower total millage rate this year than in 2003 for residents living in the Special Services District.�

Citizens are invited to participate in the public hearings on the proposed Special Services District millage rate increase. The sessions will be held in the Fulton County Government Center Assembly Hall, 141 Pryor Street, SW, Atlanta, on the following dates: Wednesday, June 2 at 10 a.m.; Wednesday, June 2 at 6 p.m.; and Wednesday, June 16 at 10 a.m.

Also, citizens may participate in the public hearings via video-conferencing. All three sessions will be video-conferenced from the North Fulton Service Center, 7741 Roswell Road, in Sandy Springs, and the South Fulton Service Center, 5600 Stonewall Tell Road, in College Park.

Following the Wednesday, June 16 hearing, the Commission is expected to finalize the 2004 millage rates.