CLARKESVILLE – The Habersham County Commission will hold a called meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 26, to conduct public hearings on the proposed FY2020 budget and millage rate.
Commissioners have announced the need to increase the 2019 property taxes it will levy by 1.93% over the rollback millage rate.
That tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 11.689, an increase of 0.221 mills.
The proposed increase for a home or property with a fair market value of $150,000 is approximately $8.76.
The new budget includes several public safety enhancements, including:
- One additional 24-hour ambulance, with associated required staffing of three EMS A/I firefighters and three firefighter/paramedics at a total cost of $306,873 from the Emergency Services Fund;
- A $1 per hour increase for all E-9-1-1 dispatchers, both full-time and part-time;
- Two additional deputy sheriffs at a cost of $93,462;
- Reclassification of a fire department employee to office manager, at an additional cost of $3,375; and
- A 25% grant match for six firefighters for four months of FY20 at a cost of $23,714 should the grant be awarded; Otherwise, the money remains in the county’s contingency fund, according to Finance Director Heidi Hook.
County Manager Phil Sutton pointed out commissioners only control a small portion of the increase. The remainder is from new construction or inflationary increases in the tax digest.
The Maintenance and Operations (M&O) millage would be 11.689. The hospital bond will be 1.138 mills, and the emergency services millage would be 0.673.
The commission will hold a called meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 26, at the Habersham County Administration Building, 130 Jacob’s Way, Clarkesville. The purpose of the third reading of the 2019 millage rate and scheduled commission approval of the FY2020 budget and the 2019 millage rate.
The meeting will be held in the Commission Conference Room on the main floor.
Public hearings on the budget were held at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 19.
Other than questions from two residents during the hearings, the only comment was made by a widow who told commissioners, “Every increase hurts.”
Follow this link to see the Habersham County Budget Guide Book.
