A Letter from the Mayor of Sugar Hill, Brandon Hembree
The Sugar Hill City Council will consider the adoption of the 2023 millage rate at the August city council meeting. We will be running the first of two official legal ads in the Gwinnett Daily Post this Sunday to start the required process.
I am excited that we are poised to provide Sugar Hill property owners with the largest property tax cut in two decades. The first tax relief will be a recommendation to lower the city millage rate from 3.8 to 3.69 mils.
The second tax relief measure was put into motion last fall when the City Council took action to ask State Representative Matt Reeves to introduce three pieces of local legislation to increase the city’s homestead exemptions. The general homestead exemption for homeowners will increase from $2,000 to $10,000; senior homeowners will see an increase from $4,000 to $20,000; and income-tested disabled senior homeowners will go from $6,000 to $30,000. If these three measures are approved by the voters this November, Sugar Hill homeowners will benefit from a 400% increase in their homestead exemption. This is the first time in three decades that homestead exemptions have been increased.
We owe our thanks to Representative Reeves for agreeing to sponsor this tax-friendly local legislation as well as each member of the city council for their leadership in championing this tax cut as well as the proposed millage rate reduction. As elected officials, we have a fiduciary responsibility to make sure our finances are in order. Because of our strong financial health and well managed city, we can afford to reduce the city millage rate, maintain our enhanced standard of service the community has come to expect, while continuing to make strategic investments in quality-of-life projects like the Sugar Hill Greenway and Ridge Lake Park.
Sugar Hill Greenway
I am proud of our city and the investments we have made that make Sugar Hill a desirable place to live, work, play and worship. Collectively, we have made investing in the community a priority while also ensuring that our fund balance/reserves – the government version of personal savings – remain healthy and unencumbered.
We have a vibrant and engaging downtown, world class venues, pristine greenspace, active and passive parks, a downtown recreation center, a brand-new Sugar Hill Greenway and assets that go unrecognized much of the year – our highly motivated and professional gas, stormwater, street department, recreation, and public safety employees that serve our community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and every day of the year.
I look forward to the months and years ahead as we collectively and collaboratively work to make our sweet city even better.
About Sugar Hill
Incorporated in 1939, the City of Sugar Hill is a northern suburb of metro Atlanta and the fourth largest city in Gwinnett County. What began as “the hill where the sugar spilled” is a thriving live/work/play city where residents and visitors enjoy “the sweet life.”
Its downtown entertainment district is home to The Bowl outdoor amphitheater, the Eagle Theatre, restaurants, boutiques, luxury apartment homes, the Sugar Hill Art Gallery and History Museum, City Hall, and Veterans Memorial. To learn more about Sugar Hill, visit cityofsugarhill.com.
For more information, please contact Victoria Richburg, Director Communications, Marketing, & Outreach at vrichburg@cityofsugarhill.com
