The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has approved a $228.5 million budget for fiscal 2017 — a $13 million or 5.4 percent decrease from the FY 2016 budget of $241 million, according to a county budget summary.
Operating expenditures are to rise by $9.6 million, driven largely by a 2 percent cost-of-living allowance in salaries ($1.6 million), 30 new full-time employees and one part-time worker ($1.4 million), and rising health care costs ($3.7 million).
Capital spending will increase by $1.1 million, with $6.1 million in SPLOST projects offset by a $6 million decline in parks bond projects. Transfers will fall by $23.7 million, primarily due to a one-time bond refunding in 2016 of $28.2 million.
For every dollar collected in taxes, Cherokee schools account for 67 cents; the county, 19 cents; fire and emergency services, 12 cents; and parks, 2 cents. The average homeowner with a house assessed at $229,300 will pay $2,603 in taxes, a $26 reduction from the prior year.
Information: http://bit.ly/2dWsdnV.
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