Johns Creek residents can comment Thursday on the city’s proposed 3.492-mill property-tax rate.

The first public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. October 15 at Johns Creek City Hall, 11360 Lakefield Drive.

The meeting matters because a public hearing gives residents an opportunity to question the proposal before the City Council completes the adoption process. It is not the same thing as a final vote.

A millage rate is applied to a property’s assessed value. One mill equals one dollar of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. The rate alone does not determine a homeowner’s complete bill because assessed value and other taxing authorities also matter.

Residents should separate the city rate from county and school-system taxes. Those other charges may appear on the same eventual bill, but they are set through different processes and are not decided at a Johns Creek City Council hearing.

Thursday’s hearing is listed as the first of three public hearings before the council’s October 26 vote. Residents who want to participate should confirm the official agenda, meeting time and public-comment instructions before attending.

The most useful questions will be specific. Residents can ask how the proposed rate supports public safety, parks, transportation, planning, capital projects and other city services. They can also ask how the budget assumptions account for growth, assessed values and reserves.

A rate change and a tax-bill change are related but not identical. A homeowner’s bill can change when assessed value changes, even if the rate remains steady. Conversely, the effect of a rate change varies by property.

Johns Creek’s own property-tax information explains that the city rate is applied to assessed value and that Fulton County is responsible for valuing property. Residents comparing their likely bills should therefore wait for the complete information from every taxing authority.

Residents who cannot attend should use the city’s official meeting materials and contact information rather than relying on a social-media summary. A written question that identifies a budget line or service area is easier for officials to answer and more useful to the public record.

After the hearings, residents can follow the council’s October 26 action and compare the adopted rate with the proposal. That follow-through is important because Thursday’s meeting is one step in a larger budget process.

For residents tracking Johns Creek’s growth, the hearing is also a practical checkpoint: it connects the city’s plans for public spaces and infrastructure with the recurring cost of maintaining municipal services.

Residents should bring questions that distinguish operating costs from one-time capital spending. That distinction can help clarify whether a proposed project affects the recurring budget or a separate investment plan.

The city’s public meeting process also gives residents a chance to hear how officials explain tradeoffs. Listening to the full discussion can be more informative than focusing only on the millage number.

For homeowners, the sensible approach is to save the official notice, review the adopted rate after the vote and compare the final information with the county assessment record.

The hearing is also where residents can ask officials to explain the relationship between the proposed rate, the city’s service commitments and the assumptions used in the budget. That discussion is more useful when residents arrive with the official notice and a short list of questions.

After the council acts, the adopted rate—not the proposal—will be the number to compare with the final tax information. Until then, Thursday’s meeting is the appropriate place for public comment.