The Peachtree

City Council faces a light agenda Thursday, with passage of the 2004 city

budget being the only heavy item of business.

In most years,

that's a mere formality.

But the road

to this city budget was anything but smooth. With tax revenue shrinking,

a pledge to maintain city services, avoid staff cuts, meet the salary

scale and rebuild aging infrastructure was a tought one to go back on,

especially in an election year.

So while the

$27.89 million spending plan may be a done deal as presented Thursday

night, there's still plenty of room for grandstanding.

In essence,

what the council will do Thursday is officially vote to raise property

taxes 12.3 percent starting Oct. 1, the beginning of the fiscal year.

That represents

a .58 mill increase in the city's tax rate, to 5.283 mills, or increases

the tax bill to the homeowner by $46.6, based on the approximate average

value of a home in the city, or $200,000.

The combined

$27.89 million budget includes $25.47 million in new appropriations and

$2.3 million in carry-over items under the Public Improvement Program

(PIP), primarily capital outlays associated with the Ga. Highway 54 West

widening project, city staff say.

Public Works

makes up the largest slice of planned expenditures, at 21 percent, although

the public safety departments combined account for 35 percent of the total.

Viewed seprately, Recreation and Leisure Services spending actually outstrips

police spending, 17 percent to 16 percent of the total.

In other business

Thursday, the council is expected to:

·Proclaim

September as National Drug & Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month.

· Continue

consideration of a request by a local resident to operate a motorized

scooter on the cart paths, which is banned by current city ordinances.

·Consider

issues related to repeated drainage problems in the Creekside Way neighborhood,

near Braelinn Baptist Church on Robinson Road at Crosstown Road.