The City Council kept the 4.731-mill tax rate and approved $515,000 to fit out a temporary Fire Station 1 on Roswell Road. All votes Tuesday were unanimous.

The Sandy Springs City Council kept the city’s property tax rate at 4.731 mills on Tuesday. It also approved the money and the contractor for a temporary Fire Station No. 1 on Roswell Road.

Every vote was unanimous. The council’s summary minutes for the Nov. 3 meeting, posted Friday, record the decisions below. The council is due to approve the minutes formally Nov. 17.

The tax rate

The council set the rate after the third and last required public hearing. City Manager Eden Freeman told the council the rate “remained the same as the rate established in the City Charter,” the minutes say. No one spoke at the hearing.

The city has levied 4.731 mills since it was founded. The charter caps the rate there unless voters approve a higher limit.

The city still had to advertise the rate as a tax increase under Georgia law, because it is measured against a rollback rate. Our story on the three property tax hearings explains why, and the questions the city’s own paperwork raised about it.

The temporary fire station

Crews from Fire Station No. 1 will move to a leased building at 8615 Roswell Road. The city will then demolish the 1968 station at 1425 Spalding Drive and build a new one on the site.

Dave Wells, the city’s director of facilities and capital construction, told the council the temporary station is needed to keep the station running during the rebuild. The council approved three items:

Item What it does Amount
Contract F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates fits out 8615 Roswell Road $515,000
Construction budget Moved from the city’s capital contingency fund to the project $300,000
Rent First-year lease, from fire truck money not needed until FY 2028 $216,000

F.H. Paschen was the lowest of three bidders. The other bids were $567,098 and $990,000, the minutes say. Wells put the total project cost at $561,350, including the owner’s contingency.

Interim Fire Chief Jesse Bernard asked to reallocate $534,500 in fleet money. The first lease payment on two new fire trucks is not due until the 2028 fiscal year, he said. Of that money, $216,000 pays the temporary station’s first-year rent and $318,500 goes to the Fire Department’s general contingency.

Council member John Paulson asked staff to keep construction and demolition parking off nearby neighborhood streets. Wells said the contractor will have to provide off-site parking.

A resident spoke during public comment about removing and replacing the telecommunications tower at Fire Station No. 1.

The city’s Fire Station 1 project page says construction of the new station is scheduled to begin in winter 2027. The city has not yet said when crews will move. Our earlier story has the full figures from the agenda packet.

A new 311 system

The council approved two contracts to replace Lucity, the work order software the city has used for about 20 years:

  • Salesforce licenses, bought through Carahsoft Technology Corp.
  • setup and implementation by StackNexus

Keith McMellen, the city’s director of data strategy, analytics and AI integration, said the new platform would handle resident requests, field work, self-service and automatic updates. Staff also looked at Lucity, Cityworks/Trimble and OpenGov before choosing Salesforce, the minutes say.

The Nov. 3 agenda packet put the first-year cost at $932,583: $220,833 in licenses and $711,750 for setup. Staff estimated the five-year cost at $1,931,993 and the setup at nine months.

Also approved

  • Ethics certification. The council re-adopted five ethics principles so the city can renew its Georgia Municipal Association Certified City of Ethics status. The city first took part in 2006, City Clerk Raquel D. González said, and the renewal is due Nov. 30.
  • A liquor license. Huo Kitchen LLC, at 1100 Hammond Drive, Suite 400A, can serve wine and beer on the premises. Staff said the applicant met all requirements.

The council then met in closed session from 6:48 to 8:03 p.m. on real estate and litigation. It took no action afterward, the minutes show.

What it means for you

  • Your city rate does not change. At 4.731 mills, the city’s share of the tax on a home with a $500,000 fair market value is $946.20 a year before exemptions. Your bill still rises if the county raised your assessed value. Our property taxes guide covers the whole bill and how to appeal.
  • Fire coverage continues. The temporary station exists so the Spalding Drive area keeps fire and EMS coverage during the rebuild. Call 911 as always.
  • The next council meeting is at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, at City Hall, 1 Galambos Way. The agenda is not yet posted on the city’s meeting portal.

For fire department news, see our Police and Fire log.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Sandy Springs millage rate for 2026?

4.731 mills. The City Council set it Nov. 3, 2026, after the third public hearing. It is the same rate the city has levied since it was founded, and the city charter caps it there unless voters approve a higher limit.

Where is the temporary Sandy Springs Fire Station 1?

At 8615 Roswell Road. On Nov. 3, 2026, the City Council approved a $515,000 contract with F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates to fit out the leased building, so crews can move there while the 1968 station at 1425 Spalding Drive is torn down and rebuilt.