None of Cobb’s four district commissioners seemed particularly happy about the county’s new budget for fiscal year 2016 — even the two who voted in favor of Commission Chairman Tim Lee’s $783.8 million spending plan on Tuesday.
Commissioners JoAnn Birrell and Bob Weatherford each had major complaints before voting in favor of the budget: Weatherford that the budget was mostly finalized before being presented to commissioners; Birrell that the amount of money being moved from the water department to the county’s general fund is increased after two years of reductions.
The other two commissioners, Bob Ott and Lisa Cupid, couldn’t get over their issues and cast dissenting votes. They complained about the lack of information provided before the vote, and that the public’s requests and concerns were not incorporated into the budget.
In the end, a county budget that will lower the property tax rate, hire 40 new police officers along with two new county attorneys, and provide county employees with a 3-percent raise pased with a 3-2 vote.
“My top three priorities were to present a structurally balanced, conservative budget; reduce the property tax rate to pre-recession levels, and finance this board’s previous commitment to public safety,” Lee said. “The proposed budget (fulfills) these commitments.”
But not in ways that the district commissioners liked.
Ott called Lee’s lowering of the property tax rate an “arbitrary number set for political purposes.” Lee is up for re-election next year.
Although the tax rate in the budget declines to 6.82 from 7.12 mills, it is legally considered a tax increase because higher property values will cause homeowners to pay more money. Lee, who championed a tax increase during the recession of 2010, promised at the time to eventually reduce the millage rate to pre-recession levels.
“Money was allocated based on chairman’s priorities, not the public’s or the (commissioner’s),” Ott said. “We were basically shown a budget, not ask for our input.”
The only thing that changed from Lee’s original proposed budget to the document approved Tuesday was an increase in pay for county employees, from 2 percent to 3 percent. Even that generated controversy.
Cupid wanted to know how the additional one-percent was funded, and was told that projected revenue from the tax rate was increased — not the tax rate itself.
“The thing that troubles me, we were told the only way that change could occur is with a millage-rate increase” or a corresponding budget cut, Cupid said. “There could be money … for a lot of other things.”
Cupid also wanted money for two new code enforcement officers, which she said would not increase the millage rate. The request was not granted.
The lack of new code enforcement officers also troubled Weatherford. He said the county has nine code officers for more than 500,000 people living in unincorporated Cobb. The city of Marietta has seven officers for 70,000 people, he said.
“I felt like we as commissioners did not have input until the budget was pretty much finalized,” Weatherford said. “I’ve been assured we’ll review the budget process” in the future.
It was the $20 million transfer from the water department to the county’s general fund that bothered Birrell — a full 10 percent of the department’s budget. Some people consider that move a hidden tax increase because it can lead to higher water rates.
The county had reduced the transfers to 7 percent last year, and upping it again goes against the commission’s promise to gradually reduce the transfers until they are eliminated, she said.
Birrell said Lee promised her that the transfer was necessary to fund the 40 new police officers, and that a statement will be placed on water bills informing the public of the practice. Birrell also said that she hopes revenues will come in higher than expected, so the full transfer won’t be needed.
Cupid called for a two-week delay in voting on the budget, so that they could continue working on it. That request went nowhere.
The county’s new fiscal year starts Oct. 1.
In other county business: the commission approved the sale of $376 million in bonds for SunTrust Park. The county will contribute $368 million toward stadium construction; the rest will be used to cover borrowing costs.
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