Local

DeKalb Commissioners Approve Budget Without Tax Increase

February 26th, 2013

The DeKalb County Commission unanimously passed a nearly $559 million dollar budget Tuesday. Commissioners passed the 2013 budget without a small tax increase originally proposed by DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis. The budget includes a cost of living adjustment for the county’s lowest paid workers.

In December, DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis proposed a 1.69 mills increase to the county’s millage rate. The administration then lowered the proposed increase to .64 mills after the county ended last year with nearly $9 million dollars more than anticipated. Ultimately, Commissioner Lee May says the commission was able to eliminate the need for a tax increase.

“There are things that were typically included in budgets: we looked at some vacancies that had been there for quite awhile, we abolished the public safety director’s office position again, and so with us kind moving things around like that we were able to realize that this year.”

The commission will approve a final millage rate in June. Commissioners also set aside funding to fill 44 fire and 25 police positions to aid with understaffing in both departments. Also included, up to $500,000 dollars in reserve funding which could go to Grady Memorial Hospital in addition to the more than $20 million dollars the county gives the hospital on a yearly basis. But May says the county will sit down with hospital officials to decide how to proceed.

“We want to have some additional talks. They have some concerns that our funding level hasn’t been up to the point of that costs that it takes to see DeKalb County residents. We really want to see some more concrete numbers and make sure we’re on the same page with those numbers that they have brought forward.”

The commission also approved a nearly three percent pay increase for the county’s lowest paid workers. And they restored $600,000 which was removed from a previous budget plan to help with improvements to the county’s permit and licensing systems. Business leaders say the funding is needed to fix the county’s permitting and licensing process.

Dekalb CEO Burrell Ellis says he’s pleased with the approved budget.

“This successful 2013 budget allows us to address our critical needs as outlined in our strategic plan which was vetted through a very thorough, deliberative and participatory process between our Administration, department directors and the Board of Commissioners.”