Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2023
Winder continued from 1A
BOC
continued from 1A
contract with ESG, which provides leaf
and limb pick-up and street sweeping ser
vices, also terminates on June 30. These
services will be brought in-house and
managed by the public works department
beginning July 1.
SANITATION FUND FY24
As per state law, sanitation services are
budgeted and accounted for in their own
enterprise fund. They are kept separate
from all other services, revenues and ex
penditures.
Revenues in this fund are unknown at
this time as the amount is determined by
the customer rate.
Expenditures for this fund in FY24 total
$2,979,667, which is up by over $1 mil
lion compared to FY23.
This increase is due to the cost of profes
sional services, which in FY23 accounted
for the Waste Management contract with
the city at approximately $832,656, or $11
per customer per month, plus ESG con
tract prices of $407,280 for leaf and limb
pick-up and $81,120 for street sweeping
services.
Professional services in FY24 include
the newly signed WastePro contract at a
price not to exceed $1.8 million, or $22.80
per customer per month.
Other increases include personnel costs,
which jumped from $50,885 to $304,636
from FY23 to FY24, as well as equipment
repair and maintenance, landfill fees and
depreciation.
The unrestricted net position of the san
itation fund at the end of FY24 is project
ed to be $1,427,379.
THE DECISION
Council’s options for using the project
ed unrestricted net position are:
Maintaining the net position in the sani
tation fund for future needs
Restricting some or all of the net posi
tion for future debt and/or capital purchas
es
Restricting some or all of the net po
sition for equipment and facilities that
would be necessary for eliminating all
contract services in this fund
Transfer some or all of the net position
to the general fund
Reducing the initial rate increase for
sanitation services for customers
According to city staff, to “break
even,” meaning generating enough annual
revenue to meet the projected expendi
tures for FY24, the recommended custom
er rate is $39.17.
A rate less than $39.17 per customer per
month would require expenditures to be
supported by the net position of the fund
and decrease the city’s savings account,
according to a staff report.
Sen. Ginn appointed as
co-chairman of committee
on service delivery strategy
Lt. Governor Brut Jones has appointed
Senator Frank Ginn (R-Athens) as the
Co-chairman of the joint study commit
tee on service delivery strategy.
“I am honored to be appointed
co-chairman of the joint study committee
on service delivery strategy,” said Sen.
Ginn. “The aim of this committee is to
address specific issues pertaining to liti
gation surrounding service delivery sys
tems. Taxpayers across Georgia pay tax
es to at least one local government and
sometimes multiple governments. Often
times when a disagreement arises be
tween these local governments, it results
in litigation and cost to the community.
Our objective is to minimize any waste
of taxpayer funds by streamlining and
improving the service delivery process.
I am grateful to Lt. Governor Brut Jones
for recognizing the importance of this is
sue and entrusting me to serve with Rep
resentative John LaHood to Chair this
joint House-Senate study committee.”
The joint study committee was estab
lished pursuant to Senate Resolution
175, sponsored by Sen. Matt Brass (R-
Newnan), which passed during the 2023
Georgia Legislative Session with bipar
tisan support. The committee will ex
amine issues related to Service Delivery
Strategy disputes between municipalities
and efficient funding options. The com
mittee will be comprised of both legis
lative and non-legislative members: Sen.
Ginn as Co-Chairman, Sen. Max Burns
(R - Sylvania), Sen. Sheikh Rahman (D
- Lawrenceville), Kurt Ward, Mayor of
the City of Braselton and Chris Dockery,
Chairman of Lumpkin County Board of
Commissioners. Additional legislative
members and non-legislative members
appointed by Speaker of the House Jon
Burns (R - Newington) are Representa
tive John LaHood as Co-Chair (R-Val
dosta), Rep. Brian Prince (D-Augusta),
Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon), Wesley
Corbitt who is Chairman of Effingham
County Board of Commissioners and
Derek Norton the Mayor of the City of
Smyrna.
The first meeting will be announced in
the coming weeks.
Sen. Frank Ginn serves as Chairman of
the Senate Committee on State and Local
Governmental Operations. He represents
the 47th Senate District which includes
Madison County and portions of Barrow,
Clarke and Jackson counties. He can be
reached at 404-656-4700 or by email at
frank.ginn@senate.ga.gov
$18,500.
• Fiscal year 2023 Special
ty Grant Awards for the Bar-
row County Specialty Court
programs. Each year, these
specialty court programs are
awarded state grant funds to
assist with operating costs.
Barrow County Drug Court
was awarded $166,427;
Piedmont Mental Health
Court was awarded $91,676
and Barrow County Family
Treatment Court was award
ed $91,919.
• The purchase of an emer
gency rescue pumper from
Fireline, Inc. for $775,000,
of which $546,475 would
come from the SPLOST
2018 restricted fund balance.
$228,525 would come from
the fire fund committed fund
balance.
• The AXON Evidence
Justice Service Agreement
for $133,438 to cover from
April 2023-April 2027 for
the District Attorney’s Of
fice. Axon Attorney Premier
offers the most efficient solu
tion to managing the massive
increase in digital evidence
used in criminal investiga
tions.
• A change order to the
Auburn Area Sanitary Sewer
Expansion for the relocation
of pump station “A” for ECP
Autry, LLC., Engineering
Management, Inc., and The
Dickerson Group, Inc. for a
total of $295,069, which will
be allocated from the water
and sewer project contingen
cy line.
• A change order for the
Auburn Area Sanitary Sewer
Expansion on Lyle Road to
allow the Dickerson Group
to install the 14-inch force
main from pump station “A”
to be installed inside of the
pavement of Lyle Road for
approximately 1,995 linear
feet. The change order costs
$66,882.50, which will be
allocated from the water and
sewer project contingency
line.
• An addendum to the EMI
PSA for the Barrow-Auburn
sewer system expansion for
additional services not in
cluded in the original scope
of services for the project,
including the design and
evaluation of an alternative
force main route to avoid
Lyle Road, the addition of a
228 linear foot gravity sew
er line extension across the
creek on 6th Avenue to the
Howard Hawthorn property
to the Harmony develop
ment, moving pump station
“A” Autry Road pump station
to the property of ECP Autry,
LLC Mike Dye property to
provide sanitary sewer ser
vice to neighboring property.
EMI requested an additional
$21,900 to their professional
services agreement.
• An intergovernmental
agreement with the Town of
Bethlehem for water services.
• A memorandum of under
standing regarding a water
main construction upgrade
at the Accent Springs devel
opment. This is to accommo
date the county’s provision
of water services to other
properties in the area as they
develop on Carl-Bethlehem
Road.
• The eighth amendment to
the landscape maintenance
PSA with Tallent Lawn Ser
vice, LLC., for an additional
12 months from July 1, 2023,
through June 30, 2024, under
the current tenns and condi
tions.
• The tenth amendment to
the PSA between the county
and Jarrard & Davis, LLP for
legal services from July 1,
2023-June 30,2024.
• The tenth amendment to
the existing PSA between the
county and Tech Optics, Inc.,
for the provision of infor
mation technology labor and
support for fiscal year 2024.
Costs incurred shall not ex
ceed $196,529 per year.
• Memorandum of Un
derstanding between the
Barrow-Braselton Joint Eco
nomic Development Author
ity (BBJEDA) and Barrow
County for the funding of
the economic development
director position. Under this
MOU, the county agrees to
fund this position.
• Uniform business hours
throughout the county will
be implemented per the Code
of Ordinances, which says
county offices will be open
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All pri
or COVID restrictions have
been lifted and eliminated the
need to work from home or
hybrid working hours.
• A resolution providing for
the levy and collection of an
annual ad valorem tax to pro
vide funds for the payment of
the principal of and interest
on the $51,200,000 owed in
aggregate principal amount
of Barrow County School
District General Obligation
Bonds, Series 2023 to finance
the acquisition, construction,
renovation and equipping of
a portion of projects within
the school system.
• Amendments to the
Unified Development Code
to update zoning procedures
laws.
• An amendment to the fu
ture land use map for rough
ly two acres from agricul
tural (AR) to low-density
single-family residential (Rl )
into two single-family lots at
a property located at 347 and
353 E Midland Ave.
Budget
continued from 1A
part-time position at a total
cost of $1,539,298, which
includes payroll taxes and
county benefits. Of the 19
new positions, 13 are for
the sheriff’s office at a total
cost of $999,962.
General fund contribu
tions to the FY24 Capital
Improvement Plan (CIP) is
$2,079,606.
General fund contingen
cy funds have increased
by 624% ($2,068,541)
from $331,459 in FY23 to
$2,400,000 in FY24.
The proposed budget is
based on:
• Rolling the millage rate
back to revenue neutral at
4.489 mills for the unincor
porated and 6.109 mills for
the incorporated M&O.
• Keeping the fire tax
millage rate the same as it
was in FY23 at 2.94 mills.
• Rolling the county bond
millage rate from 1.350
to 1.077. These bonds are
scheduled to be paid off in
October 2026.
• Rolling the economic
development bond millage
rate from 0.315 to 0.259
mills. These bonds are
schedule to be paid off in
October 2031.
• Adoption of the FY24
budget is scheduled for
June 27 at 6:00pm.
• FY24 begins July 1,
2023 and ends on June 30,
2024.
Considering
((TM*R) )) buying or
selling?
770-867-9026
www.maynardrealty.com
The Barrow County Board of Commissioners does hereby announce that the millage rate will be set at a meet
ing to be held at the Barrow County Historic Courthouse Building, 30 N. Broad Street, Winder, GA on July 11,
2023 at 6:00pm and pursuant to the requirements of OCGA section 48-5-32, does hereby publish the following
presentation of the curent year’s tax digest and levy, along with the tax digest and levy for the past five years.
Incorporated
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Real & Personal
897,230,531
963,685,024
1,037,332,925
1,124,957,342
1,411,094,931
1,741,039,550
Motor Vehicles
12,100,210
10,317,190
10,521,470
8,840,130
11,521,840
7,131,010
Mobile Homes
1,094,919
1,175,280
1,217,541
1,253,639
1,262,667
1,318,511
Timber-100%
0
0
32,446
0
-
-
Hvy Duty Equip
0
0
0
26,547
35,512
125,174
Gross Digest
910,425,660
975,177,494
1,049,104,382
1,135,077,658
1,423,914,950
1,749,614,245
Less M&O Exemptions
108,093,514
112,431,698
137,943,453
129,742,499
140,245,035
213,412,402
Net M&O Digest
802,332,146
862,745,796
911,160,929
1,005,335,159
1,283,669,915
1,536,201,843
Gross M&O Millage
12.310
11.999
11.940
11.574
10.154
9.119
Less Rollbacks
2.936
2.970
3.160
3.250
3.070
3.010
Net M&O Millage
9.374
9.029
8.780
8.324
7.084
6.109
Net Taxes Levied
7,521,062
7,789,732
7,999,993
8,368,410
9,093,518
9,384,657
UNINCORPORATED
Real & Personal
1,587,384,252
1,692,525,236
1,778,820,945
1,965,334,851
2,398,158,603
2,995,865,969
Motor Vehicles
37,775,960
37,377,860
33,966,900
28,220,070
23,755,060
21,813,120
Mobile Homes
4,894,273
5,531,722
5,548,488
5,617,757
5,653,848
6,145,065
Timber-100%
44,383
12,533
20,866
188,959
-
202,166
Hvy Duty Equipment
0
-
0
243,291
258,831
143,213
Gross Digest
1,630,098,868
1,735,447,351
1,818,357,199
1,999,604,928
2,427,826,342
3,024,169,533
Less M&O Exemptions
266,980,848
280,508,565
313,132,457
305,538,949
327,928,334
475,405,342
Net M&O Digest
1,363,118,020
1,454,938,786
1,505,224,742
1,694,065,979
2,099,898,008
2,548,764,191
Gross M&O Millage
12.310
11.999
11.940
11.574
10.154
9.119
Less Rollbacks
4.954
4.910
5.170
5.150
4.660
4.630
Net M&O Millage
7.356
7.089
6.770
6.424
5.494
4.489
Net Taxes Levied
10,027,096
10,314,061
10,190,372
10,882,680
11,536,840
11,441,402
TOTAL COUNTY
Total County Value
2,165,450,166
2,317,684,582
2,416,385,671
2,699,401,138
3,383,567,923
4,084,966,034
Total County Taxes Levied
17,548,158
18,103,793
18,190,364
19,251,090
20,630,357
20,826,060
Net Taxes $ Increase
593,059
555,635
86,571
1,060,725
1,379,268
195,702
Net Taxes % Increase
3.28%
3.16%
0.48%
5.83%
7.16%
0.95%