Cobb Commissioners approved a $475 million general fund budget for 2020 in a split vote Tuesday night.
That’s up five percent from last year, an increase attributed to growth in the tax digest as commissioners kept the property tax rate flat.
The budget includes a four percent raise for non-sworn county employees and a seven percent raise for sworn public safety personnel following months of lobbying by advocates of police, fire and sheriff’s deputies.
County Chairman Mike Boyce lauded the budget as a “middle-of-the-road” compromise and said that the floating homestead exemption protected many residents from an increase on their county tax bill.
The budget passed with the support of Boyce and Commissioners Lisa Cupid and JoAnn Birrell, with Commissioners Bob Ott and Keli Gambrill in opposition.
Among other things, Ott and Gambrill said they supported a step and grade system for public safety instead of raises across the board.
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