Interim DeKalb County CEO Lee May unveiled a 2015 budget proposal Friday that aims to add customer service staff while maintaining current property tax rates.
Complaints about inaccurate water bills and long hold times contributed to May’s effort to add 41 new customer service positions at a cost of $1.7 million.
The $1.13 billion budget covers all county services for more than 700,000 residents, including police, fire, courts, libraries, economic development, elections, parks, roads and water. Total expenses are about the same as in this year’s budget. The budget is funded by property taxes and fees.
Property values are increasing across the county, with unincorporated areas forecast to grow slightly faster than cities. Net taxable property values were projected to rise 4.1 percent countywide.
But the county still hasn’t fully recovered from the recession, and revenue growth alone wasn’t adequate to cover expenses.
May balanced his budget by gaining $19 million from refinancing bonds and by “rightsizing” county government by beginning to reduce government staffing levels. No active county personnel will lose their jobs, but the workforce will be reduced over time through attrition.
Commissioners have previously questioned May’s bond refinancing method, saying they prefer that savings be spread out over time rather than taking a significant amount up-front.
The DeKalb Commission will review and modify the budget before voting on it by the end of February.
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