ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has sided with Georgia's most populous county in an ongoing dispute over a 17-percent property tax increase.

Senior Cobb County Superior Court Judge G. Grant Brantley on Thursday rejected a request to bar Fulton County from collecting money from the tax hike.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (bit.ly/1rjFV6F) that the ruling is a victory for the county in its continuing legal battle with opponents.

The judge did not rule the tax hike is legal. But he declined to order Fulton to stop collecting about $1,300 in additional taxes from six current and former state lawmakers who are fighting the increase.

The tax increase will cost the owner off a $275,000 house an extra $140 a year if the property's value remains unchanged.

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