The Tax Shell Game
This week I’m starting a daily series breaking down what really happened at the Sept. 8 Woodstock City Council meeting. On the surface it looked routine, but when you listen closely and read the fine print, you see a pattern: numbers adjusted just enough to sound historic, while the real story stays the same.
Back on August 25, I wrote a post called “Are Your Woodstock City Taxes Really Going Down?” (link: https://www.marthajeanformayor.com/martha-jeans-mic-drop-blog/are-your-woodstock-city-taxes-really-going-down). My bottom line then was simple: two dials, same song. The city services rate (M&O) dips a notch, the parks bond rate ticks up to cover this year’s payment, and when you add them together your bill barely moves.
At the Sept. 8 meeting, Council updated the numbers again:
M&O (services) dial: rolled back slightly.
Parks bond dial: locked in at 0.50 mills (lower than the earlier 0.54 staff slide, but higher than last year’s 0.454).
Net effect: For a typical homesteaded $500,000 home, about $17–$22 less per year — under $2 a month.
Here’s what doesn’t make the headlines: even with that small “cut,” the FY26 budget shows about $300,000 more in annual debt service than last year.
Why Our Debt Is Rising
Woodstock’s rising debt isn’t an accident. It’s the result of choices:
The 2023 Parks Bond voters approved, which carries escalating payments.
New fire stations and other capital projects tied to growth.
A “pay-as-you-grow” strategy: borrow now, assume future population and property values will cover tomorrow’s bills.
To be fair, many fast-growing cities use this approach. Borrowing for things like fire stations or parks can make sense because the benefits stretch across decades. These projects can even boost property values and expand the tax base.
But here’s the problem: instead of saying, “We’re adding debt to fund growth and here’s why,” City Hall celebrates a “historic cut” in one tax line while burying the true obligations in the fine print. That’s what turns a reasonable financing strategy into a shell game.
Why It Matters for You
That $300,000 increase in debt service doesn’t just live on a spreadsheet. It’s money that could have:
Paid for new crosswalks and traffic-calming projects.
Built a chunk of a trail connection.
Added staff to keep up with public safety and parks maintenance.
Instead, it’s locked into bond repayments. And if growth slows — as it inevitably does — the only way to cover those rising payments will be raising taxes or cutting services.
So while City Hall brags about a “historic cut,” families see almost no change in their bills today and risk higher costs tomorrow.
What We Should Do Instead
We can do better than headline-hunting with millage rates. Here’s how:
Make growth pay for growth. Before borrowing, lean on impact fees, SPLOST sales-tax funds, and direct developer contributions. Debt should be the last resort, not the first tool pulled off the shelf.
Borrow with guardrails. If the city issues debt, publish a project-by-project scorecard showing costs, timelines, and benefits so families know exactly what their payments are buying.
Cap debt service. Adopt a local rule limiting debt service to a set share of city revenue. That forces real prioritization instead of wish lists on credit.
Borrowing isn’t automatically bad — but it has to be honest and disciplined. Families shouldn’t be told they’re getting a “historic tax cut” when the bill on the back end is still climbing.
See for yourself:
My Aug. 25 post with the full plain-English breakdown: https://www.marthajeanformayor.com/martha-jeans-mic-drop-blog/are-your-woodstock-city-taxes-really-going-down
Meeting agendas & packets: https://www.woodstockga.gov/your_government/meetings_agendas_and_minutes.php
Full Sept. 8 Council meeting video: https://woodstockga.granicus.com/player/clip/522?view_id=1&redirect=true
