The Fulton County Board of Commissioners today approved a proposed 17 percent property tax increase. The vote was 4-3.

Commissioners proposed the tax hike to pay for countywide services like libraries, courts and social services. It would cost the owner of a $275,000 home an extra $140 a year if the property’s value remains unchanged.

But with property values rising in some areas, the tax hike could be steeper. A 10 percent increase in value, combined with the tax hike, would cost that same owner of that $275,000 house an extra $270 a year.

Supporters say the proposed tax increase and budget cuts approved earlier this year are needed to balance Fulton’s $625.4 million general fund budget. Without the tax hike, they say, steeper cuts will be needed.

Opponents say the proposal violates a tax cap imposed on Fulton County by the General Assembly last year. They say the county should cut spending and live within its means, rather than raise taxes.