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Special Called Meeting of the Mayor and Council - Millage Rate Public Hearing #1 — Minutes

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July 14, 2025 
8:30 AM 
 
City of Smyrna 
Mayor and Council Meeting 
2800 King Street SE 
Council Chambers 
 
Page 2 of 4 
 
Per the information provided, the City would need to roll back the millage rate to 8.936 to 
not advertise a tax increase. In comparison, last year's millage rollback was calculated at 
8.244. 
  
The official notice, and all required information, was posted in the Marietta Daily Journal 
on July 5th & 6th, 2025. It was posted again on July 12th & 13th, 2025. A press release 
was sent to the Marietta Daily Journal on June 24, 2025. It has also been posted on our 
City website. 
  
This is the first required public hearing. Additional hearings will be held at 8:30AM on 
Monday, July 21, 2025 and 6:30PM Monday, July 21, 2025. The adoption of the millage 
rate will be an agenda item on the 6:30PM meeting on July 21, 2025 as well. 
  
A public hearing was called, and no one came forward in favor of or in opposition to this 
item. The public hearing was closed. 
 
4.  Public Comment 
 
5.  Adjournment 
 
Mr. Jones asked Jennifer Bennett, Community Development Director, to discuss the highly 
successful and wonderful Budweiser Clydesdale Horses feature as part of the MLB All-Star 
Week programming. Ms. Bennett shared the following: 
  
The City Team began working on ground with the visit about a month ago with two outside 
organizations:  
• Parks & Recreation 
• Community Relations, PR/Media team of Leff & Associates, Pedro Jesus Photography, 
and Seth Aiken (drone) 
• Economic Development 
• Police Department 
• Fire Department 
• Public Works 
• City Administrator 
• Atlanta Beverage 
• Budweiser 
 
The day began very early for many of the City teams with closure of the Market Village and 
barricading placement for the day. The day ended very late for many – after midnight – well after 
the Clydesdale Team left the staging lot. 
  
Attendance: Still evaluating. Likely exceeds the estimate that the Fire Department gave the 
Marietta Daily Journal (drone footage will be reviewed to better estimate attendance). 
  
The Staging & Route:  
• Clydesdales were staged in the upper parking lot across from Smyrna First Baptist 
• Clydesdales and the wagon were unloaded, prepared, groomed, harnessed, and hitched 
in the staging lot 
• A crowd gathered in the staging lot and watched / Clydesdale staff narrated the activity 
• City staff captured a combination of video and stills (used later in the closing post on 
Facebook) 
• City contracted videographer/still photographer, and a Drone Video/Stills contractor 
reported and began work at the staging lot