The HD47 runoff is Tuesday — where the candidates stand

Where Miller and Cochran Stand

The House District 47 runoff is this Tuesday, June 16 — polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and with early voting now closed, Tuesday is the day. To help you decide, we asked Jack Miller and Brian Cochran the same five questions. Here's the short version of where they stand; the complete, word-for-word answers are in our voter guide.

1. Property tax relief
Cochran: Expand the homestead exemption for owner-occupied homes, paid for by cutting "wasteful" government spending rather than raising other taxes.
Miller: Senior-focused relief — a 100% Fulton schools senior exemption at 65 and raising the senior homestead exemption to $100,000 — funded by growth in the tax base, not higher rates.

2. Preservation vs. growth
Cochran: Protect Milton's heritage from overdevelopment and expand tax credits for agricultural landowners to ease the pressure to sell to developers.
Miller: Keep zoning and land-use decisions local rather than with the state, and oppose any effort to weaken Milton's authority over its own zoning.

3. Birmingham Crossroads & GDOT
Cochran: Press GDOT to keep Milton officials leading the project, and favor long-term traffic solutions over simply widening roads.
Miller: Push GDOT to give Milton a greater say over State Route 372 — like the authority the city won over Highway 9 in 2025.

4. One vote they'd cast differently
Cochran: He'd have voted no on House Bill 1009, the statewide school device ban the retiring incumbent supported, calling it state overreach — local schools should set their own rules.
Miller: He'd have voted against any industry-specific tax break that lacked a cost-benefit analysis, a sunset date, and a follow-up review.

5. Accountability
Cochran: Regular town halls for feedback on upcoming bills, plus one-on-one meetings with constituents.
Miller: A public voting record and a post-session budget analysis on his website, and meeting constituents in the district instead of in Atlanta.

That’s the condensed version — read every answer in full, verbatim and side by side, in our HD47 voter guide. One thing to know before you go: with early voting closed, you’ll vote at your assigned precinct on Tuesday — look up your location and sample ballot at My Voter Page.

Sources: candidate questionnaires (The Roundabout); Fulton County Registration & Elections.

On Monday's Council Agenda

Milton's City Council meets this Monday, June 15, at 6 p.m. at City Hall — in person or online. A few items worth a look:

Housing inmates in Alpharetta. The Council will vote on a three-year agreement letting Milton Police house arrestees at the Alpharetta Detention Center off Old Milton Parkway, at $165 per inmate, per day, rather than escorting them to downtown Atlanta. The city says it saves officers time and keeps more of them patrolling in Milton. (Alpharetta reopened the 72-bed facility late last year.)

A pause on data centers. Also up for a vote: a temporary 30-day moratorium on accepting data-center applications, giving the city time to weigh updates to its development code. Officials cite potential impacts on utility demand, noise, lighting, traffic, and emergency response.

A grant for firefighters. The Council will consider authorizing Milton Fire-Rescue to apply for a FEMA grant to buy a mobile air-compressor trailer for refilling firefighters' breathing-apparatus cylinders on scene.

Also on the agenda: FY2026 budget amendments (a public hearing, with a final vote July 6), an agreement to bring The Coder School's classes to city facilities, and a contract to manage logistics for this fall's Crabapple Fest.

Sources: City of Milton; Appen Media.

Milton, by the Listings

A quick snapshot of the local market, from our own Milton Homes directory.

There are roughly 400 active listings in Milton (30004) right now. The median asking price is around $1.2 million, and the top end runs past $13 million.

Don't let the occasional sub-$400K listing fool you, though. Those are almost all townhomes, condos, and the odd vacant lot clustered in the Deerfield area of southeast Milton, near GA-400. Milton's detached, acreage-and-equestrian homes start well above that.

The directory also counts 74 equestrian properties and 63 new-construction builds. Browse everything and filter by school district at readroundabout.com/milton-homes.

Source: The Roundabout's Milton Homes directory (listing data via RentCast).

New in Crabapple: Mathnasium

There's a new spot in town for young math learners. Mathnasium of Crabapple held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting this week at 1935 Heritage Walk.

It's the fourth location for owner-operator Anup Wassan, who grew up in the Milton community and says his goal is to spread “math positivity” and ease the fear that math can stir up. The center works with a range of ages and skill levels; details are at mathnasium.com.

Source: Crabapple Market.

Around Town: Road Work

Two Milton road projects are pushing ahead despite the rain.

On Hopewell Road (between Birmingham and Hamby), crews shifted tactics on the broken-down stretch — laying portland cement to keep it safe and passable, with paving to follow once it dries.

The full-depth reclamation of Thompson Road (Hopewell to just south of Tabbystone Pass) is expected to get underway in the coming week, weather permitting. If either is on your route, build a few extra minutes into the drive.

Source: City of Milton.

Looking Ahead: Father's Day

One week from today — Sunday, June 21 — is Father's Day, and a few Milton spots are already planning for it.

Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails (800 Mayfield Rd) is hosting “Father's Day at Milton's” that Sunday; the menu and reservations are on their events page.

Six Bridges Brewing caps a weekend of live music with sets on the Crabapple patio Father's Day afternoon at 3 p.m.

Sharkey's Cuts for Kids (980 Birmingham Rd) is booking its Father & Child Haircut Experience — cartoons, video games, and a cut you do together.

Prefer to keep it low-key? Our dining guide has nearly 200 local spots — or just get outside, where Milton's trails and back roads are at their early-summer best.