The Peachtree City Council on July 16 held a public hearing on the adoption of the FY 2016 that totals $33.5 million. The council also approved a resolution that could lead to having city elections held on even-numbered years.
Following a consensus at the July 8 workshop, the council again heard details of the $33.519 million budget that includes no millage increase, no across the board employee raises and the use of a more conservative $769,000 in reserves to bolster needed paving expenses.
Though the millage rate will not increase, three public hearings will be held in August before the budget is adopted since it includes a tax increase due to an increase in property values.
Street resurfacing was a major factor in determining the budget numbers. As selected, the $33.5 million budget, which includes the allocation of $769,000 in reserves, will provide $2 million for resurfacing projects.
The council at previous meetings had agreed that the budget would not include an across the board employee rate increase, though it would add one detective position in the police department, increase the golf cart registration to an annualized $15 per year and would include $114,000 in employee merit increases.
As set to be adopted, the budget would provide for an additional $225,000 for cart path work, bringing that total to $665,000, some of which could be offset by the increase in cart registration fees.
Adoption of the budget was expected on July 30, though that date has been moved to August.
Also at the meeting, the council voted unanimously to approve a charter change to allow for city elections on even-numbered years.
The council on May 7 voted 4-1 to have staff prepare a legislative document that required unanimous approval by the council before it could be sent to a member of the Fayette County legislative delegation for submission in the General Assembly’s 2016 session.
Assuming it is adopted by the General Assembly in the 2016 session, the issue would be the subject of a city referendum later in 2016.
If successful, the terms of the two candidates elected to the council for Post 1 and 2 in November would be shortened from four years to three years and would expire in 2018.
