Submitting

a budget 11.8 percent larger than last year's,

Peachtree City officials are expecting to make up

the difference with increased property taxes, a

city news release said Monday.

The

extra funds would come from taxable property

values that were increased in the latest round of

reassessments. The city doesn't plan to increase

the millage rate; instead the rate would remain

at 4.06 mills, according to Betsy Tyler, public

information officer for the city.

City

staff is expecting an increase in ad valorem

property tax collections by 8.6 percent, compared

to last year, Tyler said. That figure would equal

an additional $263,506 in revenue for the city,

she said.

Ellen

Mills, the chief tax appraiser for Fayette

County, said reassessments in Peachtree City

increased property values by $162.25 million.

Peachtree

City's $12.89 million budget includes a

recommendation for $493,877 in raises from the

city's salary study. The pay plan was the main

reason given for the budget increase, along with

the addition of three new firefighters to cover

shifts no longer covered by volunteers.

Three

public hearings have been scheduled to allow

citizen input on the proposed property tax

increase: Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. (which

coincides with the next City Council meeting),

Wednesday Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday,

Oct. 5 at 7 p.m.

Fayette

County Tax Commissioner George Wingo said

Peachtree City's estimate "sounds

dead-on" with the estimated increase in

property values in Peachtree City. Preliminary

figures indicate the reassessments increased

property values by over 8 percent in Peachtree

City, Wingo said.

Wingo

added that the figures haven't been finalized and

the county's tax digest hasn't been approved by

the state.

At

last week's council meeting, Councilman Robert

Brooks suggested that council consider rolling

back the millage rate on ad valorem taxes to

lessen the burden on the individual taxpayers. He

suggested that the difference could be taken from

the city's cash reserve.

"When

you look at the council contingency fund and the

cash reserve fund, you have $2.4 million,"

Brooks said.

City

Manager Jim Basinger said he didn't want to

deplete the reserve because the city tries to

keep 90 days worth of cash on hand for

emergencies.

Mayor

Bob Lenox said Brooks' rollback idea should be

discussed.

Ad

valorem taxes account for 27 percent of the

city's proposed budget, eclipsed only by local

option sales tax money, which funds 35 percent of

the budget.

The

budget's current version calls for 12 new

full-time employees: six firefighter/paramedics

and a secretary for the fire and rescue

department, a police captain, two recreation

maintenance workers, a youth services librarian

and a maintenance worker for the public service

department. A part-time secretary also is listed

for the city's developmental services division.

In

his notes on the budget to council, Basinger

indicated that next year's budget will need to be

adjusted since the pay plan and new positions

will be on-going expenses.

"Such

adjustments will most likely include an

examination of how we evaluate and fund our

capital projects in the PIP (Public Improvement

Program)," Basinger wrote. "In

addition, a complete revenue survey should be

performed to identify potential revenue

enhancements, and we must continue to maintain

our quality improvement to identify opportunities

for cost savings."

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