The Hall County GOP released a statement Wednesday morning, saying they do not support a tax increase proposed earlier this month by Hall County Commissioners that would raise the tax rate by roughly 26%
Commissioners announced June 8 that they had tentatively adopted a budget with a millage rate increase of 1.449 mills to 6.950 mills, which county officials said would go towards the funding of a required fifth superior court judge, state-mandated restructuring of property tax collection and a bump in employees at the Hall County Jail, among other items. On June 15 at a public hearing, the sentiment from residents was the same as that of the local GOP: don't raise our taxes.
"We can be proud of our elected officials and our general population for growing this community and culture. There is strong new retail, industrial, and medical development coming to fruition from North Hall to Braselton and from Chestatee to Lula. New development breeds employment. Employment breeds population growth. Population growth breeds higher revenue in general," said the statement.
They went on to say, as Republicans, they believe in limited government and less taxation. They felt that was accomplished with Republican leadership in the county over the past few years, citing the current tax rates. And, the statement said the growth in population and appreciation in market values have funded the local government and there has not been a decline in community services even though the millage rate had not increased.
"We do not agree with or approve of such an action by our county commissioners. We believe that this drastic of a tax increase is irresponsible. Especially when tax values continue to increase with a growing market. Further, it is our belief that growth in the population and economy, resulting in an increased tax digest, is strong enough to fund an increase in the fiscal budget," the statement read.
