Flowery Branch City Council approves 2015 budget

FLOWERY BRANCH - In a 4-1 vote, the Flowery Branch City Council approved a budget for fiscal year 2015 Thursday night.<br /> <br /> The lone opposing vote to the $7,785,429 budget was that of Joe Anglin, who said he disagrees with too many items on the budget to give it his approval.<br /> <br /> Ed Lezaj, a former councilman, spoke during the citizen comment portion.<br /> <br /> "[The budget] doesn't make sense to me as an accountant," said Lezaj. "I'm asking [the council] to review what's in front of them."<br /> <br /> The new budget includes an increase in the millage rate from 2.837 to 3.337, a rate that hasn't changed since 2006.<br /> <br /> Another citizen said he was happy to see more people at the meeting, but thinks if the budget was more readily available, there would be an even greater turnout.<br /> <br /> "This budget should be on the [city's] website for people to review," said Wallace Stiving, who also took the podium during the public comment period. <br /> <br /> "When the budget is put together, it should be done as if it's with your own money," Wallace added.<br /> <br /> Wallace was the second of seven people to speak.<br /> <br /> <i>[Note: City Finance Manager Jeremy Perry told AccessNorthGa.com the budget proposal had been available on the Flowery Branch website since early June. See link to the site below.]</i><br /> <br /> The budget needed to be approved by July 1 by law, since that's the start of the fiscal year.<br /> <br /> The approval came with an amendment about a council and mayor pension plan. That plan totaled $2,139, according to City Manager Bill Andrew. The money in that plan will be moved to the contingency fund.<br /> <br /> Also brought up at the meeting was the city's insurance plan, which will be up for renegotiation in December.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2014/6/276525