Brookhaven Releases Plain-Language Budget Guide

The 24-page booklet explains the proposed $45.6 million 2027 budget as the city council adopts a higher millage rate.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Financial Planning

Brookhaven Releases Plain-Language Budget Guide

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Brookhaven released a 24-page budget booklet titled "2027 Proposed Budget in Brief" to explain the proposed $45.6 million budget. The city council also unanimously passed a millage rate increase to 3.85 mills.

Why it matters

Residents have asked to understand how the budget process works, including where tax funds come from and how they are spent. The booklet offers a condensed view of a budget that runs roughly 350 pages in full.

The proposed $45.6 million budget is funded 84% by taxes and 8.8% by licenses and permit fees, up from last year's $38 million. Public hearings on the budget are scheduled for Nov. 3 and Nov. 17, and the final adopted figures remain pending.

The players

Brookhaven City Council

The elected body that unanimously approved the millage rate increase and oversees the city's budget process.

The details

The booklet was compiled in-house at an initial cost of about $800 and includes no new or expanded programs. About 60% of the general fund supports 217 full-time and 22 part-time employees, and more than $18 million is proposed for public safety.

June 23: Council unanimously passed the millage rate increase.
August 25: Council approved the Peachtree Creek Greenway Phase III trail alignment.
Nov. 3: Public hearing on the budget at City Centre.
Nov. 17: Second public hearing on the budget at City Centre.
2027: Peachtree Creek Greenway Phase II construction is scheduled to begin.

Macro View

Brookhaven's move to a 3.85 millage rate and a $45.6 million budget reflects the state-governed process by which Georgia cities set property tax levels and present annual budgets to the public. The booklet format is a public-facing step layered onto that required framework.

Property owners will see the higher 3.85 millage rate reflected in their tax bills, and residents can attend the Nov. 3 or Nov. 17 hearings at City Centre to weigh in. Each council member will also host a community meeting to walk through the budget.

The takeaway

Reading the condensed booklet before the November hearings can help residents see how their tax dollars are allocated across public safety, staffing and projects. Attending a community meeting or public hearing is the most direct way to ask questions before the budget is adopted.

What happens next

Public hearings on the proposed budget will be held at City Centre on Nov. 3 and Nov. 17, and an amended final version will be mailed to residents after adoption.