Newspaper Page Text
LOCAL
THURSDAY, JUNE 14 - 20, 2018 • Page 9
Proposed Doraville budget shows $2 million tax increase
BY DEREK SMITH
derek@dekalbchamp.com
Doraville City Council June
4 revealed the first draft of its
preliminary budget for 2019.
The recommended budget,
presented in a city council
work session by City Manager
Regina Williams-Gates,
includes a near $2 million tax
increase from 2018 and a more
than $900,000 jump in general
fund revenues, despite drops in
most revenues outside of taxes.
The largest drop in
projected revenue comes in
fines and forfeitures. In 2018,
Doraville budgeted more
than $2.5 million in fines
and forfeitures, accounting
for 18 percent of overall
revenue. The 2019 proposed
budget accounts for $2
million in expected fines and
forfeitures—13 percent of the
projected revenue of nearly $15
million.
Doraville is currently
being sued by four plaintiffs
who claim the city makes a
conscious effort to generate
significant revenue through
municipal court fines, fees and
forfeitures.
“The city of Doraville
budgets to receive millions of
dollars from municipal court
fines, fees, and forfeitures,
which account for anywhere
between about a fifth to about
a third of its general operating
revenues,” the court filing
reads.
Williams-Gates issued a
statement June 5, the day after
the preliminary budget release,
in which she claimed the
lawsuit is “without merit.”
“The city has adopted
laws and ordinances for the
sole purpose of ensuring that
our city is a safe, clean and
healthy place to live and visit,”
the statement reads. “In both
the police department and
code enforcement division of
community development, there
is no responsibility for revenue
collection and the focus is
on progressive compliance—
citations being a last resort.”
The police department
accounts for 47 percent of
Doraville’s 2019 projected
spending. The city budgeted
more than $7 million in police
CITY OF STONE MOUNTAIN
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
The City of Stone Mountain hereby gives notice that a
Public Hearing will be held on Tuesday, July 3, 2018 at
6:30pm to receive public comment n a Text Amendment
to Appendix A-Zoning, Article V. District Regulations of
the City of Stone Mountain Code of Ordinances.
Anyone wishing to attend the public hearing may do so
and be heard relative thereto. Please contact the City of
Stone Mountain Administration Office at 770-498-8984 for
further information.
NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE
_ The Governing Authority of the City of Avondale
Estates has tentatively adopted a 2018 millage rate
which will require an increase in the property taxes
by 8.32 percent. All concerned citizens are invited to
the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at
City Hall, 21 North Avondale Plaza, Avondale Estates,
GA 30002 on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 5:30 P.
M., Monday June 25, 2018 at 10:00 A.M., and Monday
June 25, 2018 at 6:30 P.M.
This tentative increase will result in a millage rate
of 9.957 mills, an increase of .765 mills. Without
this tentative tax increase, the mill rate will be no
more than 9.192 mills. The proposed tax increase
for a home with a fair market value of $342,324.00 is
approximately $105. The proposed tax increase on
non-homestead property with a fair market value of
$250,908.00 is approximately $77.
department spending, a slight
jump from $6.9 million in
2018. The largest chunk of
the police department budget
is earmarked for regular
employee salaries, which
account for $2.8 million.
According to the budget
document, if approved,
this budget will represent a
65 percent jump in police
department spending since
fiscal year 2015.
The largest jump in
departmental spending
belongs to the city manager’s
office, where the city budgeted
for $767,000 in 2019, up
from $485,500 last year. The
department is projected to
have many spending increases,
including a near doubling of
regular employee salaries from
$195,300 to $389,500 and a
48 percent jump in part-time
employee salaries from $9,100
to $18,800.
NOTICE OF PROPERTY
TAX INCREASE
The City of Pine Lake Mayor and
City Council have tentatively adopted
a millage rate which will require an
increase in property taxes by 11.07
percent. All concerned citizens are
invited to the public hearing on this tax
increase to be held at the Courthouse/
Council Chambers, 459 Pine Drive,
Pine Lake, GA on June 21. 2018 at
7:0Qpm.
Times and places of additional public
hearings on this tax increase are at
the same location on June 26. 2018
at 7:30am and June 26. 2018 at
6:30pm.
This tentative increase will result in
a millage rate of 22.200 Mills, an
increase of 2.630 mills. Without this
tentative tax increase, the millage rate
will be no more than 19.566 mills.
The proposed tax increase for a home
with a fair market value of
$125.000 is approximately $121.16
and the proposed tax increase
for nonhomestead property with
a fair market value of $200.000 is
approximately $196.00