The heat may be back on Gwinnett County commissioners as anti-tax organizers mount a drive to head off a suggested property tax increase that may raise the average homeowner's bill by as much as $150.
So far, at least two groups have combined to sponsor a town hall meeting for late this month to address whether the county is doing everything it can to avoid raising property taxes.
"My position now is the same as when they initially discussed having a tax increase [in June]," said Sabrina Smith, chairwoman of Gwinnett Citizens for Responsible Government. "I was opposed to it because I felt they had not justified the need for the tax increase. We're back in that same position now."
Smith's group is teaming with Gwinnett Freedomworks to host a forum on the issue Oct. 29 at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville.
As talk swirled by phone and e-mail about the resurrected tax issue Thursday, a group of about 40 residents gathered at Gwinnett Center to begin drawing up proposals for future county budgets. The Engage Gwinnett committee, commissioned by county officials, will meet over the next six months to identify needed services and revenue sources to support future county operations. A cross section of private residents, and business, education, social and political leaders make up the group.
The county had originally sought a property tax increase of 28 percent to 30 percent last spring, but commissioners voted it down after hundreds of residents appeared at public hearings and rallies decrying the measure. As a result, commissioners passed a measure in late July to reconcile the budget shortfall by eliminating 250 positions -- including 53 police officers -- and delaying more than $13 million in capital expenditures, such as parks, fire stations and other buildings. The measure also laid the groundwork for $225 million in cuts over the next five years.
Since then, a parade of residents, most notably library patrons and residents seeking sustained police services, have complained to the county about the cuts in services. While some have suggested the cuts went too deep, others have argued they have not been equitable.
Two of the five commissioners, Kevin Kenerly and Bert Nasuti, have said they've heard enough complaints to consider a tax increase for core services, such as courts, police, fire, parks and libraries.
County Commission Chairman Charles Bannister signed on to have county staff report back next week with detailed costs for restoring those services. However, Bannister, who was in budget meetings all day Thursday, said he has not decided whether to support a tax increase.
The chairman did say he would attend the Oct. 29 public forum.
Gwinnett County has not adopted a final mill levy for 2009, although a superior court judge granted it permission to issue temporary tax notices based on last year's mill levy of 10.97. A final mill levy would first have to be published then presented at three public hearings before it could be adopted.
The tax issue was resurrected at Tuesday's County Commission meeting when Kenerly said commissioners had not shown leadership this year when it caved in to public pressure on a tax increase. He said the result has been a dangerous decline in the quality of life in Gwinnett County. He suggested that property owners may be asked to pay an average of about $150 a year in added taxes to restore basic quality-of-life services.
But Debbie Dooley, who heads Gwinnett Freedomworks, said taxpayers deserve a detailed description of why a property tax increase is needed now. She said her group is going to ask for a specific accounting of where cuts have been made and whether more cuts can be made to noncore services.
"My phone has been ringing off the hook," said Dooley, whose group helped rally opposition to the earlier tax increase. "People want us to get involved again."
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