Adoption of $52.7 million budget includes 14 new full-time county workers
The Fayette County Commission on June 28 adopted the FY 2019 budget that takes effect on July 1. The budget will be followed by the sixth consecutive property tax rollback.
Above, Fayette County commissioners at the June 28 meeting. Pictured, from left, are commissioners Chuck Oddo, Steve Brown, Randy Ognio and Charles Rousseau. Chairman Eric Maxwell was absent. Photo/Ben Nelms.
Revenues for the proposed general fund budget for 2019 totaled approximately $52.7 million, while expenditures and other uses total $52.1 million, resulting in an approximate $521,000 positive impact to the General Fund.
The vote to adopt the budget was 4-0. Chairman Eric Maxwell was not at the meeting.
County Administrator Steve Rapson during the first public hearing said 2019 be the sixth year for a rollback in property taxes.
The $521,000 fund balance for 2019 will be added 2018 fund balance of $29,144,510, for a total of approximately $29.685 million.
Finance Director Mary Parrott during the first public hearing held June 14 noted that the 2018 millage rate rollback amounted to a $599,966 savings for taxpayers, adding that the cumulative savings to taxpayers totals $21.5 million since 2013.
Pertaining to salary increases, the county continues to maintain a merit-only-based system.
The proposed budget includes 14 new full-time equivalent positions and 3.75 part-time equivalents.
New full-time positions are requested for human resources, information technology, public works, purchasing, criminal investigations, tax assessor, fire, EMS and the water system.
Parrott said Fayette County new housing starts have increased 4.4 percent over the past two years and the county’s unemployment rate in 2018 stands at 3.6 percent. That compares to the 4.1 percent unemployment rate in 2017.
Parrott said that, compared to 18 other metro Atlanta counties, Fayette has the second lowest millage rate. Only Forsyth County has a lower rate.
