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.

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — The Dawson County Board of Commissioner held the third public hearing on the millage rate Thursday then voted unanimously to set the rate at 8.138 mils, the same as last year. Although the rate remains the same, it is higher than the rollback rate and represents an increase in property taxes of 4.32 percent.

When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires a rollback millage rate be computed that will produce the same total revenue as the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessment occurred. Georgia law also requires three public hearings. Previous public hearings were held on  August 11 and 18.

Commissioners are considering a proposed 2017 budget that requires a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate.

Charlie Tarver was the lone speaker at Thursday’s meeting and he encouraged commissioners to “think long and hard about a rollback.”

Tarver said his concern is that a rollback this year could lead to a much higher tax increase next year.

He pointed out that the county has some pressing needs that have to be addressed. “I did confirm there are only two firefighters to work at one fire station,” he said. “There is one to set up the truck and the other has to wait until more help arrives. There is a new judge coming in and that has to be funded. About 16 percent of the county’s vehicles are past their expected life cycle. It’s time to quit patching the inner tube and replace the tube.”

Prior to the public hearing, commissioners held a work session to discuss additional funding for the Tax Commissioner’s office, a request to contract with an independent bond attorney and a new time frame to sign up to speak at commission meetings. Those issues will be voted on at the next regular meeting of the commissioners.

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — After receiving a strong financial report earlier this month, the Dawson County Board of Commissioners decided Thursday to give taxpayers a break next year. The Board will advertise a reduced millage rate of 7.8 mils for 2017, a slight reduction from 8.138 mils in 2016.

Commissioners will hold public hearings on Aug. 11 and 25 at 4 p.m. and Aug. 18 at 6 p.m.

The new rate is based on a projected revenue budget estimate of $22,447,708.
Chairman Mike Berg said, “We have worked very hard to develop Hwy. 400 so we could reduce taxpayers property taxes.”

Commissioners were unanimous in approving a recommendation to add a Tax Appraiser III position. Chief Tax Appraiser Kurt Tangel said recently the passage of House Bill 202 added significant responsibilities to the Tax Assessors office, making it a more formal process than it was just five years ago. The cost to add the position this year will be about $25,000.

Commissioners also approved B+C Studios for the State Route 53 Overlay District Development and Design. B+C Studios was the low bidder at $46,000 for the design project that will cover an 8-mile stretch of SR 53 from Perimeter Road to the Forsyth County line.

DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. — Dawson County citizens could get some tax relief next year thanks to the business development taking place along Ga. 400 and a healthy fund balance that is above average for Georgia counties.

When the Dawson County Board of Commissioners meets for its voting session Thursday, commissioners will vote on setting the millage rate.

Commission Chairman Mike Berg said last week he is hopeful commissioners will adopt a full rollback rate of 7.8 mils, a significant reduction from the 8.138 mils of last year.

During last week’s work session, Berg said, “We have worked very hard to develop Hwy. 400 so we could reduce taxpayers property taxes.”

If the current millage rate is retained, it is estimated that property taxes would generate$15,058,197 next year. With a full rollback to 7.8 mils, it would generate about $9,487,832. The county currently has a healthy unassigned fund balance of $ 5,208,334 or about 23 percent. The standard in most Georgia counties averages between 15 and 25 percent.

“My recommendation is that we advertise no tax increase with a 7.80 millage,” Berg said.

At Thursday’s meeting, commissioners will also decide if they want to add a Tax Appraiser III position. Chief Tax Appraiser Kurt Tangel explained that the passage of House Bill 202 last year added significant responsibilities to the Tax Assessors office, making it a much more formal process than it was just five years ago. The cost to add the position this year would be about $25,000 and $51,000 in 2017.

Staff recommended commissioners approve B+C Studios for the State Route 53 Overlay District Development and Design. B+C Studios was the low bidder at $46,000 for the project that will cover the 8 mile stretch of SR 53 from Perimeter Road to the Forsyth County line.

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Dawson County officials have done a great job of managing the county’s finances. That was the assessment of Chris Hollifield, the CPA who presented the 2015 financial audit report to the Board of Commissioners Thursday.

“You’re in great shape compared to other counties,” Hollifield said. “You held expenditures tight and actually came in under budget on expenditures.”

The county is 94.76 percent funded, Hollifield said, while the average Georgia county is only about 65 percent funded.

The county reduced its indebtedness from $19,352,445 in 2013 to just $3,581,308 in 2015 and it has paid off the bonds used to finance the new courthouse.

A breakdown of expenditures showed that 26.29 percent went to pay off debt, 20.5 percent funded the sheriff’s office, 10.83 percent funded general government operations and 9.69 percent went to fund fire and EMS services.

The county’s sales tax provided 41.3 percent of its revenue while 33.23 percent came from property tax. SPLOST revenue increased by $318,480 to a total of $6,708,332.

DAWSONVILLE Ga. — As the Dawson County Board of Commissioners works out the county’s new budget, Chief Magistrate Judge Lisa Poss-Thurmond has asked the Board to consider adding a $12,000 supplement to the annual salaries for her and the county’s other magistrate judge, Anthony Tarnacki.

Poss-Thurmond made the request at Thursday’s work session.

In addition to the annual supplement, Poss-Thurmond requested an additional $918 each in the form of a FICA/Medicare adjustment.

Thurmond-Poss, who has served the county for 12 years, currently earns $59,127.81 annually while Tarnacki earns $52,611.44 after eight years with the county.

She told the Board that she and Tarnacki earn less than the assistant district attorneys who appear before them. She also pointed out that magistrate judges must be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

“We do all the same work as the other department heads,” she said. “I’m asking to keep our salaries in line with theirs. I’m asking for fairness for myself and Judge Tarnacki. I trust his judgement and his wisdom and I’m trying to keep him.”

The Board will vote on the request at the regular Board meeting next Thursday.