Peachtree City property owners likely will be on the hook for at least one more mill in property taxes, providing the city with an additional $1.7 million in revenue for the upcoming 2014-2015 budget year.
That will equate to about a $100 increase on the property tax bill for the average-priced city home, valued at $247,000. However, things could change depending on how the final budget shakes out; last week’s meetings were considered preliminary in nature to “guide” city staff on spending priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
A tax increase would necessitate three public hearings to be held before council could vote to enact a higher millage rate.
The new spending as currently proposed would pay for an expected salary increase for staff dictated by a pay study authorized earlier this year by council, tabbed at $405,000 for now. It also includes an extra $382,000 so the city can ditch its contracted landscaping services and move the work back in-house by hiring 19 new staffers.
The plan is to increase the amount of spending on street resurfacing to $1.48 million and slightly increase cart path resurfacing to $440,000.
Also included in the city budget is an annual debt service payment of $350,000 over 10 years to fund facilities authority bond improvements in the coming fiscal year ranging from restoration of a wall at the Kedron pools for $182,000 and replacement of a roof at the city’s tennis center for $175,000 to items as small as $20,000 to paint the exterior of the tennis center, $32,000 to replace awnings at the tennis center and $32,000 to add sealant and railings to the city’s burn building training facility.
Also included is $87,000 to demolish the Clover Reach Pool, which has gone unused the past several years and $42,000 to resurface the All Children’s Playground, a project that has already been concluded.
Despite this year’s list being heavy on tennis center items, the lion’s share of the $2.6 million facilities authority budget is split almost evenly between recreation and public works projects.
