Following long-winded debate, much of it opposition from residents, Cobb commissioners Tuesday night approved a 15.7-percent millage increase, settling for less than the 17-percent hike originally proposed.
Commission Chairman Tim Lee pushed for the lower increase, which meant a $105 increase on a tax bill for a home valued between $190,000 and $210,000. Commissioners Helen Goreham and Woody Thompson also voted for the revised tax hike. The increase raises Cobb’s millage rate from 9.60 mills to 11.11 mills.
“Quality of life must be preserved, protected and fought for even if it means taking a hit at the polls,” Goreham said.
Commissioners Bob Ott and JoAnn Birrell voted against the increase and proposed their own recommendations to cut $25 million from the budget. They advocated delaying a possible increase until a final report on county spending came from a citizens oversight committee in November.
“It’s been said that the increase would only increase tax bills by about $100, but any increase we pass will touch every property owner, not just those whose finances are secure,” Ott said.
The vote came three and half hours into the meeting, which provided 55 people with a chance to address the Commission. The hearing was dominated by residents opposed to the tax increase. People who spoke before the vote argued that the county needed to cut spending before considering an increase.
Cobb has had one of the lowest millage rates in the metro Atlanta area, maintaining it for the past five years, and has cut its millage rate 11 times since 1990.
Lee pushed for the tax increase to help make up the county’s tax digest, which fell 5.5 percent from last year and 7 percent the previous year, leading to declining revenues. Cobb faced a $33 million budget deficit going into the next fiscal year, that begins in October.
Several residents opposed to the hike warned commissioners that voting yes would jeopardize their re-election bids. They pushed for commissioners to consider more of the cost-cutting recommendations presented by the citizens oversight committee. Recommendations included eliminating vacant jobs from the county’s budget, revising county employee benefits and prohibiting the future hiring of retired employees.
“Just a little bit more is getting to be just a little bit too much,”resident Ethel Gibson said. “Gas, groceries, utilities [and] medical insurance is going up and we can’t do anything about those, but this is something you can do something about. Before you add a little bit more to our tax bills, think how this is going to hurt people. Some are on the brink.”
Prior to the vote, three commissioners said they were unsure whether they would vote for the increase. Ott was opposed to the tax hike and called for more cuts before raising taxes. Groups such as the Cobb Taxpayers Association also advocated for cuts, plus a review of the cost of services the county provides.
Cobb's tax increase was a decided change for a county that has compensated for revenue declines and budget deficits by furloughing county employees, requiring departmental cuts, closing senior centers and reducing hours at libraries, parks and recreation facilities. The increase was similar to other metro Atlanta jurisdictions that have resorted to millage hikes to buoy revenue drops.
People in support of the tax increase, including state Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan, who spoke Tuesday night, requested it to maintain county services, eliminate the remaining two furlough days and fill public safety vacancies.
The increased rate will be applied to property tax bills that go out Aug. 15. Commissioners will approve the fiscal 2012 budget in September.
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