Bolstered by a growing tax digest, the McDonough City Council voted at its July 15 regular meeting to approve a full rollback of the city’s millage rate to 3.806 mills.

  According to city officials, this is the fourth consecutive year the city’s millage rate has decreased, from a high of 4.922 in 2015. Last year’s millage was 4.083. Officials pointed out that the total tax digest for McDonough is above $1 billion for the first time, having increased more than 10 percent in the past year.

  The vote to approve the rollback was unanimous and is expected to result in $3,874,335 in total city taxes levied, an increase of $147,279 from last year.

  In other business, the council voted to approve a $69,723 expenditure for improvements at the city’s water treatment plant. The work by Southern Flow, Inc. to replace the existing radio telemetry equipment is needed “because the equipment is currently nonfunctional,” according to a city staff report. The funds will come from the water treatment plant’s budget. The council also approved an administrative variance on behalf of Homewood Suites on Avalon Court, reducing the front setback from 40 to 37 feet. Both measures were approved unanimously as part of the consent agenda at the council’s regular monthly meeting.

  An annexation decision regarding a site next to the I-75 interchange on Hwy. 20/81 was postponed until the council’s Aug. 1 meeting. The 1.68-acre total tract is the location of the former Ruby Tuesday restaurant, and the request includes a lateral rezoning from county C-2 (general commercial) to city C-2 (central commercial).

  After a presentation and a public hearing that included several citizens speaking in opposition, a motion was made to postpone a decision. After that motion passed, a meeting was requested between the applicant and the council to discuss details of the project proposed for that location.

  Two proposed annexations for which the Henry County Board of Commissioners have raised objections were discussed, with one being rejected and the other essentially starting over.

  A request for the Village at McDonough Parkway development included a multi-family and residential townhome district zoning. After council member Sandra Vincent said she could not support the project as presented, the city’s attorney said that no action was necessary if the city chose not to move forward with the project, or the issue could be resolved with a motion to reject the proposed project. Vincent moved in that regard, and her motion passed unanimously.

  For a separate application of a Campground Road development, the applicant wished to restart the annexation process, and the council unanimously approved a motion for that to happen.