The $145.1 million budget is 8 percent less than last year’s budget but still allows the city to continue its day-to-day operations and continue to provide services to its residents.
The first of two public hearings regarding the budget was held June 7 at a city council meeting and Cartersville Finance Director Tom Rhinehart said the budget contains no salary increases, no city property tax increases, funds for the Cartersville School System, salaries for 12 firefighters and a 5 percent increase in water/sewer rates.
The increased water/sewer rate will raise the average residential bill by $1.50 Rhinehart said.
Rhinehart said the $12.6 million decease in the budget is mainly due to decreased capital expenses, decreased purchase of commodities and decreased operational expenses.
Also affecting the budget are projected decreases from the 2003 and 2007 Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) by about 45 percent for each.
City Council member Dianne Tate a smaller, tighter budget comes as no surprise.
“It’s a tough, tight budget [but] we knew it would be,” Tate said.
City Manger Sam Grove said the city’s staff has worked hard to help make the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year work.
“Staff has done a great job of balancing it,” Grove said.
A second hearing for the budget will be held at a city council meeting that will be held June 21 at 7 p.m.
Post a Comment