Mike Berg Presents Proposed Budget Headley Named County Manager

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DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – The Dawson County Board of Commissioners took care of two very important pieces of business at last night’s commission meeting.

Dawsonville City Manager David Headley was officially named as the new county manager and Commission Chairman Mike Berg presented the $36.5 million proposed budget that Headley and his staff will have to work with in 2017. Headley will begin his new duties on Monday.

The proposed spending plan calls for a triennial budget for 2017-2019, which Berg explained would provide for long term visioning and planning, but when the budget is approved in November, it will be for only one year.

Highlights of the proposal include an increase in property tax revenue of 5.56 percent or $517,600 in 2017, a major increase in health insurance costs of $239,000, improving service levels and addressing capital needs at an increased cost of $1.9 million.

The county also plans to fund 26 new positions at a cost of $1.47 million, including 11 in the Sheriff’s Office, 10 in the Fire Department and 3 in Public Works.

The county will maintain about $4.2 million in its unassigned fund balance or about 17.2 percent of the overall budget which is within the 15-25 per cent range recommended by the Association County Commissioners Georgia (ACCG).

Capital Improvement Requests include $2.1 million from the General Fund and $4.7 million from SPLOST VI for a total of $6.9 million. The bulk of the requests is for $268,000 to purchase nine vehicles based on the county’s Vehicle Replacement Policy.

Property taxes will make up 40.3 percent of the anticipated revenue while sales tax will make up about 27.1 percent.

In August county commissioners voted to keep the millage rate at 8.138 mils, the same as 2016.

The Board will hold one public hearing on Oct. 20 and another on Nov. 10 at which time they plan to adopt the F.Y. 2017 budget.

In other business Thursday, commissioners approved:

An amended Ambulance Billing Rate Ordinance that sets fees for basic life-saving non-emergency transportation at $350, basic life-saving emergency transportation at $400, advanced non-life saving emergency at $350, advanced level 1 emergency at $500, advanced level 2 emergency at $675 and mileage at $13 per mile;

Renewal of the contract with Chestatee Regional HospitaI for the purpose of clinical learning opportunities for students and employees of Dawson County Emergency Services;

A contract with North Georgia Network (NGN) to provide backup internet services at the Dawson County Government Center at a cost of $1,500 for the rest of 2016 and $6,000 for 2017;

The purchase of LED lighting for three soccer fields at Rock Creek Park at a cost would be $396 770 for plus a 10% contingency with the funds coming from SPLOST VI.

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