Johns Creek City Council Meeting – July 14, 2025
Johns Creek City Council Meeting – July 14, 2025
The Johns Creek City Council met on July 14, 2025 at 7:00 PM at 11360 Lakefield Drive. The meeting covered consent items, a quarterly scout recognition, public comment, the manager's monthly report, an executive session, and two new business items: a resolution to join an amicus brief and a budget amendment ordinance. Key positions included the mayor's opposition to a proposed Fulton County tax increase, a resident's request to reduce truck traffic, and a councilmember's concern about how completed projects were described.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the June 9, 2025 work session and council meeting minutes, June 17th mini-retreat summary, and June 26th special called meeting work session summary unanimously.
- Approved the amended consent agenda (excluding G.1, moved to new business) including:
- O2025-07-19 (budget amendment) moved to new business.
- Memorandum of Understanding with Emory Johns Creek Hospital for EMT and paramedic clinics.
- Memorandum of Understanding with American Medical Response for EMT and paramedic clinics.
- Public Art Commission recommendation for artist selection (a 24-foot spiral art piece at the boardwalk at Town Center).
The consent agenda was approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Leo Geary (resident of Brookhaven at Johns Creek, vice president of condo association): Requested the elimination or minimization of 18-wheeler truck traffic on Technology Circle, citing it is primarily a residential area and that Medley development will worsen congestion. Also requested an additional lane at the intersection of Technology Circle and Johns Creek Parkway to proactively handle future traffic. He had submitted a letter and offered to provide petitions.
Presentations
- Quarterly Scout Recognition: The council recognized Miss Laksh Selva Kumar for earning the Girl Scouts Gold Award. She described her project creating a book nook at Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities in Sandy Springs, providing donated books, activity packets, bookmark workshops, and a website to promote literacy and family bonding during difficult times.
Reports
- Manager's Monthly Report (May and June): City Manager presented a video summarizing first-half 2025 achievements aligned with five strategic priorities: arts and culture, public safety, recreation and parks, economic development, and transportation. Highlights included events (Lunar New Year, International Festival, Juneteenth), public art installations, a bond referendum for a performing art center, crime suppression unit activation, Fire Station 63 and police substation construction, boardwalk construction on track for summer 2026, park renovations, and in-house public works. The video was praised by council.
Discussion Items
- Mayor's Opening Remarks: Mayor expressed strong opposition to a proposed Fulton County tax increase of approximately one mill. He read a draft resolution urging the county to forego the increase, noting that Johns Creek has the lowest millage rate among Fulton County municipalities, that Fulton County doubles its sales tax share (from 4.98% to 12.5%) over 10 years to fund a jail now estimated at $300 million (not the originally quoted $1-2 billion), and that the final millage rate hearing is August 6, 2025 at 10 AM. He invited residents to attend.
- Ordinance O2025-07-19 (Budget Amendment): Councilmember Aramelli moved to amend the descriptive language in the agenda report, requesting removal of the phrase "48 projects were completed" and replacement with a table showing savings by fund, to avoid the perception that the city was padding achievements by listing small items (e.g., helmets, vests) as projects. The finance director agreed to improve future reporting clarity. The council discussed the accounting practices for capital projects and closeouts. Motion to approve the ordinance as presented passed 6-1 (vote tally from transcript; specific opposition not recorded).
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously (including MOU with Emory Johns Creek Hospital and American Medical Response, and Public Art Commission recommendation).
- Executive Session: Council unanimously voted to enter executive session to discuss land, legal, and/or personnel matters, then voted to exit with a report that three legal issues were addressed.
- Resolution R2025-07-17: Approved unanimously authorizing participation in an amicus brief in Chang vs. City of Milton appeal pending before the Supreme Court.
- Ordinance O2025-07-19: Approved 6-1 (budget amendment closing 48 capital projects, returning $2,681,792 to respective funds: Capital Projects Fund, Infrastructure Maintenance Accrual, Equipment Accrual, and Vehicle Accrual). Council directed staff to close projects on a quarterly or more frequent basis going forward and to clarify the description in future agenda reports.
- Next Meeting: Work session on July 28, 2025 at 5:00 PM and council meeting at 7:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you. We're recording Welcome to our uh City Council meeting here on July 14th at uh 7 12 p.m. Thank you. This time I'll call roll. Councilmember Tunki? Here. Councilmember Skinner is present. Councilmember Aramelli. Present. Councilmember Coughlin. Present. Councilmember DBAC. Here. Councilmember Elwood. Thank you, Mayor. We have a quorum. Okay, fantastic. Next slide. Thank you. I'd like to ask our scout this evening, Lake, to come forward and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. If everyone would stand. Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Good job. Mayor's remarks. Yeah, uh I think at this point a lot of people are hearing about that Fulton County is contemplating a significant tax increase. I can't think of a time when a local government has contemplated raising above the current rate by an entire mill. Um but that's what they are talking about doing. Uh tonight, but just giving you a forewarning, and I am going to distribute this to our sister cities throughout the county to see if they might like to uh join and and maybe use this as a template. Uh but I am going to just read a little bit of what this resolution says asking for Fulton County not to uh do this exorbitant uh tax increase. Where the City of Johns Creek has maintained by far the lowest millage rate of all Fulton County municipalities, yet has delivered positive results for quality of life for our residents through conscientious financial stewardship, strong management, improvent policy choices. And whereas in 2022, Fulton County successfully negotiated a significant increase in the county percentage of local option sales tax, a tax designed to offset property taxes from 4.98 to 12.5% over a 10-year period, an increase that doubles the amount of that the county will receive over the next 10 years at the expense of the cities in Fulton County, like Johns Creek. And whereas Fulton County's justification for demanding the additional loss revenue was to build a new jail that was estimated to cost between 1 billion to 2 billion dollars. That's why they said they needed all that extra tax revenue from us. Whereas the decision has been made that a new jail will not be built, but instead the existing jail will be refurbished at a cost of approximately 300 million. So a big difference from the one to two billion that they were talking about before. And whereas on August 6th, the Fulton County Commission will vote to set the rate for the fiscal year, and then it goes on just asking them to please not to raise our taxes so much and forego that and to tighten their belt. And so I would just encourage any of you that are concerned about this. Uh please know that the final milled rate hearing for Fulton County is August 6th at 10 a.m. at the Fulton Government Center downtown. All citizens are uh invited to attend in person or via video conference at the Fulton County website, Fulton County GA.gov. Thank you, that's all I have. Thank you. Next item. Thank you. The next item are the minutes. You have the June 9th work session and council meeting minutes along with the June 17th mini retreat and the June 26th special called meeting minutes before you. Okay. Anyone want to make a motion? I move that we approve the minutes as presented, Mayor.
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