Goodger casts only “no” vote on fiscal year 2019 budget that will likely increase millage rate

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CLEVELAND, Ga. – On a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Terry Goodger opposed, the White County Board of Commissioners approved a fiscal year 2019 total budget of $23,663,399 Monday that will likely mean the first tax increase for citizens in four years.

The new spending plan calls for an increase of $2,509,954 in the total budget since last year. Also included is the addition of six new full-time and three part-time employees and a $2 per hour pay rise for employees other than law enforcement, which received a pay raise earlier this year.

It was the fact that the pay raise for other employees was included in the budget without a vote of the Board of Commissioners that drew Goodger’s strong opposition.

“I don’t recall that we had a formal vote saying we were going to give a pay raise,” Goodger stated. “If we pass this budget, it will be in there but we never really had a discussion on the Board about that. I know we have got to pass a budget but it strikes me as wrong that we may pass a budget with a big millage increase because we have got to give a pay raise.”

In presenting the budget, County Manager Michael Melton said, the proposed general fund budget is $18,925,734 and balancing the budget would require some use of the fund balance and “more than likely” a millage increase. Public Safety will receive the biggest slice of the budget, approximately 48.7 percent, followed by General Government 23.2 percent.

Separate funding makes up $4,734,665 of the overall budget with E-911 getting the most at $1,051,582.

Commissioners approved a contract with Charles Black Construction in the amount of $121,885 for finishing the football field at Yonah Preserve and a lighting services agreement with Georgia Power in the amount of $107,406 plus $632.46 monthly.

The Board also approved revisions to the special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) road projects that will allow Stanly Nix Road, Mauldin Road, Bonnie Pearl Lane, Hawthorne Drive and Cedar Hollow to be paved by August 31.

 

 

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