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EJ&4deR)RSYTH COUNIT
A WEEKLY LOOK AT WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT
The proposed 2000 Budget to
be reviewed by commissioners
The Forsyth County Board of Commis
sioners was presented with a proposed 2000
budget on Monday night that holds the line of
-spending.
Commissioners will receive public comment
on the proposal on Monday, Sept. 27, and then
approve a budget and set millage on Monday,
Oct. 11.
' ' In the first of two articles looking at the 2000
budget proposal, we examine General Fund
’ revenue and review other funds that make up
the budget. Next week, we'll look at General
Rind expenses.
GENERAL FUND REVENUE
' General Fund revenue is projected to
increase only 1.2 percent _ver 1999 levels to
$33.2 million. In 1999, General Fund revenue
was $32.7 million.
Revenue from property taxes is projected to
increase about $600,000 over last year, the
<i*aiilt of a 26 percent growth in the tax digest.
’•Cdmmissioners are expected to roll back the
vepqnty’s millage rate to offset a county wide
reassessment of property values in 1999.
As a result, property taxes will make up just
21 percent of the budget. The Local Option
Sales Tax will make up the largest part of the
county’s revenues, over 35 percent.
OTHER FUNDS
Besides the General Fund, the Forsyth
County budget includes several other funds
that operate independently of the main county
budget. Below is an overview of what is pro
posed for those funds in 2000:
• Victim Rights Fund: Total budget of
$133,750 is roughly the same as 1999.
• Drug Abuse Fund: Used for drug education
* in schools, this budget is approximately the
* same as 1999’5.
; • Detention Center Fund: Revenue and
: expenditures are up 5 percent from 1999.
» E-911 Fund: Revenue are up due to
- increased revenue from cell phone charges
that started in 1999, but were collected for
•. only part of the year.
• Fire Fund: Revenue is up 20 percent
•_* because of higher property taxes in 2000, and
. expenditures will be up because the depart
■ rpent plans to hire 12 additional full-time fire
fighters in 2000.
*’• • Water A Sewer Department: This is an
enterprise fund, meaning it must function
solely off its own revenue. Revenue and
expenditures are both up in 2000 as the
department continues to expand its system and
will begin operation of the new water treat
ment plant next year.
FOR THE PUBLIC
A copy of the proposed 2000 budget is now
available for public viewing in the Board of
T Commissioners’ office, Suite 210 of the
? Forsyth County Administration Building, 110
Here are lome upcoming
opportunities to participate in
what's happening with Forsyth
County government.
• Now through Sept. 27:
Forsyth County's proposed bud-
Cfor the year 2000 is available
public viewing. Anyone who
wishes to see the proposed bud
get can go to the Board of
Commissioners office, Suite 210,
Forsyth County Administration
Building between the hours of
B:3oajn.andSp.m.
• Monday, Sept. 27: Forsyth
County Board of Commissioners
regular meeting, 5 p.m.; Public
Hearings, 7 p.m. Both are held in
the Commissioners Meeting
Room, second floor,
Administration Building.
Commissioners conduct their
second meeting of Sept. The
'agenda will be available the day
before the meeting in the Forsyth
County News or online at
http://www.forsythco.com/boc/
agendas.htm. This meeting will
include the public hearing on the
proposed county budget for the
year 2000.
A weekly feature page of the Forsyth County News with material provided by Mitch Clarke, Forsyth County public information officer.
County Calendar
• Tuesday, Sept. 28: Forsyth
County Planning Commission
regular meeting, 5 p.m..
Commissioners Meeting Room,
second floor, Administration
Building.
The Planning Commission
meets to approve changes in zon
ing.
• Tuesday, Oct. 5: Forsyth
County Appeals Board, 7 p.m. in
the Commissioners Meeting
Room, second floor. Adminis
tration Building.
This board hears zoning vari
ance requests.
• Monday, Oct. 11: Forsyth
County Board of Commissioners
regular meeting, 5 p.m., in the
Commissioners Meeting Room,
second floor. Administration
Building.
Commissioners conduct their
first meeting of October. The
agenda will be available the day
before the meeting in the Forsyth
County News or online at
http://www.forsythco.eom/boc/a
gendas.htm. Among the items on
the agenda will be the final
approval of the year 2000 bud-
f l-l
; idt Il P l JRHk
■ - - ■- bMMmWb
I *4 —i Vi 23 lx I m 1
■ i k. -4 m
11 Otherl ~ . __
I 1».» $33,148,226
| . ■ TOTAL REVENUE FOR
Designed by the Foisyth County Office of Public Information!
E. Main St. in Cumming. If you would like to
view the complete budget, stop by that office
between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday
through Friday.
• The Board of Commissioners will hear
public comment on the proposed 2000 budget
during a public hearing on Monday, Sept. 27.
The hearing will begin at 7 p.m., following the
Board’s regular meeting. The hearing will be
held in the Commissioners Meeting Room on
get.
• Monday, Oct. 25: Forsyth
County. Board of Commissioners
regular meeting, 5 p.m.; Public
Hearings, 7 p.m. Both are held in
the Commissioners Meeting
Room, second floor, Adminis
tration Building.
Commissioners conduct their
second meeting of October. The
agenda will be available the day
before the meeting in the Forsyth
County News or online at
http://www.forsythco.eom/boc/a
gendas.htm.
• Tuesday, October 26: Forsyth
County Planning Commission
regular meeting, 5 p.m..
Commissioners Meeting Room,
second floor, Administration
Building.
The Planning Commission
meets to approve changes in zon
ing.
• Tuesday, Nov. 2: Forsyth
County Appeals Board, 7 p.m. in
the Commissioners Meeting
Room, second floor, Adminis
tration Building.
This board hears zoning vari
ance requests.
the second floor of the Administration
Building.
• The 2000 budget will be adopted a\d the
county's millage rate set at the Board’s regular
meeting on Monday, Oct. 11.
• The 2000 budget will become effective on
January 1, 2000, the first day of the county’s
fiscal year.
NEXT WEEK: A look at expenditures in
the 2000 budget.
Contact Us
We want to hear from you!
The Forsyth County Office of
Public Relations and the Forsyth
County News hope you find this
page about your county govern
ment to be useful and informa
tive. It is compiled and written by
the Office of Public Relations,
which welcomes your comments,
suggestions and questions.
Please forward any correspon
dence to the Forsyth County
Office of Public Relations:
• BY MAIL*
110 E. Main St.,
Suite 235, Cumming, GA
30040
• BY PHONE. (770) 781-3088
•BY FAX: (770) 781-2199
•BYE-MAIL:
forsythpr® co.forsyth.ga.us
To access more information
about Forsyth County govern
ment, visit our website at
http://www.forsythco.com
FOWSYTM COMFCTY NWFB **
Special Election Day b Tuesday
The Forsyth County Voter
Registrar's Office is reminding
registered voters that Tuesday is a
special Election Day in the coun
ty. Voters will be asked to decide
the fate of a school-bond referen
dum. Polls will be open from 7
a.m. until 7 p.m.
Voters who will be away from
the county on Tuesday can still
apply for absentee ballots through
Monday at the Voter Registrar’s
Office, Suite 200 of the Forsyth
County Administration Building.
For more information on voting:
Voter Registrar’s office, 770-781-
2118.
Forsyth County Public Library
offers two new services
The Forsyth County Public
Library is introducing two new ser
vices to further assist its patrons.
One new program will yield
access to the library’s catalog
from home or at work via the
web. The web address is
www.forsyth.public.lib.ga.us.
Forsyth County Library web
page will also include a kid’s
page, library card application,
library history, library directions,
community links, job opportuni
ties, and Sharon Forks Library
construction information.
The other new program will per
mit patrons easy access to renew
al services via automated tele
phone services.
To use the automated telephone
renewal services, at 770-781-
2998, patrons must have their
library card number and personal
identification number (PIN) ready.
This service will allow patrons
to renew library items on loan,
state your current fines, list titles
on loan, list or cancel titles on
hold, and list all overdue items.
• For any additional questions,
contact Forsyth County Public
Library at 770-781-9840 or fax at
770-781-8089.
• For questions about the new
automated telephone renewal ser
vices, call 770-781-9840. then
select option 2.
• Library hours are 10 a.m. to
8:30 p.m. Monday - Thursday and
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and
Saturday at 10:00 a.m to 5:30 p.m.
The library is closed on Sundays.
• Forsyth County Public Library
is located at 585 Dahlonega Road.
Forsyth County promotes
recycling program
Again this year. Keep Forsyth
County Beautiful will participate
in the “America Recycles Day” in
Georgia on Nov. 15.
The 1999 slogan is called, “For
Our Children’s Future, Buy
Recycled Today.”
By holding the annual aware
ness campaign, the program's
mission is aimed at promoting the
social, environmental, and eco
nomic benefits of recycling and
buying recycled.
The program’s goal hopes to
double its pledges as done in
1998, and it hopes to increase
recycling efforts and the purchas-
Qunation & Answer
QUESTION: I have recently moved to Forsyth County from oat of
state, and I am interested in bidding for county projects. Could you
please give me some information?
ANSWER: Vendors interested in participating in the bidding process
may be placed on Forsyth County’s bidders list by completing a Bidder’s
Application, available from the Purchasing Department Vendors win be
required to list the commodity codes relating to the various materials,
specifications, equipment supplies and services they can provide. The
vendor will be placed on the bidder's list for those commodities, which
are listed on the Bidder’s Application. A vendor may submit a bid with
out being on the Bidder's List; however, Vendors must maintain an
acceptable status of providing goods and services in a responsible Ban
ner in order to remain on the bidder’s list Repeated failures to submit a
response (3 no responses) may result in the bidder being removed from
the Bidder's List Vendors are responsible for notifying the county of
changes in address, phone number, commodities, etc.
Iff you have a question about Forsyth County government, you can:
• Mail it to Ask Your Government, Forsyth County Office of Public
Relations. 110 E. Main St Suite 235, Cumming, GA 30040. • Fax It lo
770-781-2219. • E-mail it to forsythpr®co.forayth.ga.us.
Please include your name, address and phone number in rase we need
to contact you directly.
In Brief
ing of recycled content products.
An American Green Dream
House drawing, sponsored by
Home Depot, will be an addition
al incentive to promote recycling.
To enter, pledge cards will be
used for adults promising to recy
cle and buy recycled. Participants
can fill out the pledge cards at the
local Home Depot, located at
1000 Market Place Boulevard.
The cards will be used for local
and statewide drawings this year.
The Dream House giveaway will
be held in Nov., 2000.
Other program prizes will be
given to one lucky youth partici
pant. These prizes will include a
top for four to Disney World, a
remanufactured computer, and 25
remanufactured computers for the
school of the winner’s choice.
Youth pledge cards will be dis
tributed through schools or by
calling Diana Dean at Keep
Forsyth County Beautiful at 770-
205-4503. Youth prizes will be
awarded in December, 1999.
Solid Waste Management
Public Notice
The Georgia Comprehensive
Solid Waste Management Act
requires Forsyth County Govern
ment to develop a strategy for
reducing the amount of solid
waste going into landfills and
other disposal facilities.
This reduction may be accom
plished by many techniques,
including recycling materials
such as plastic, newspaper, and
aluminum cans.
Waste reduction can also be
accomplished by diverting yard
waste from disposal facilities into
backyard or other composting
operations.
If you are interested in informa
tion about what you can do to
help, please contact Diana Dean
at 770-205-4503.
The following is the actual cost
of providing solid waste manage
ment services in Forsyth County
Government during the fiscal year
from Jan. 1, 1998 to Jan. 1,1999:
Operating Revenues
• Recycling (includes compost
ing and mulching), $21,377
• Disposal. $226,370
• Public Education, $2,000
• The total operating revenues
equaled $249,747.
Full Costs
• Recycling (includes compost
ing and mulching), $73,377
• Disposal. $759,657
• Public Education, $7,000
• The total full costs equaled
$840,034.
Other facts
• Forsyth County disposed of
7,349 tons of waste in 1998.
• The total cost for disposal per
ton was $114.30.
• The total cost per person was
$11.05.
For further information, please
contact Tim Allen, Assistant
County Engineer, at 110 East Main
Street. He can be reached at 770-
781-2865 from 8:30 *.m. to 5:00
p.m., Monday through Friday.
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