The DeKalb County CEO has made a last-ditch effort to raise property tax rates and asked the County Commission to implement an “interim” 1.5-mill increase for six months.
Last week, the commission rejected CEO Burrell Ellis’ proposal to raise taxes and approved a $530 million budget with $33.6 million in cuts.
On Thursday night, Ellis submitted what he calls a “compromise budget” and asked the commission to reconsider raising taxes for the first half of the year and then make adjustments for July-December.
Ellis’ proposal would allow the county to restore $21.8 million -- 65 percent -- of the cuts.
Ellis submitted the “compromise budget” instead of vetoing the budget. The CEO has the authority to veto any commission decision, but the commissioners need five votes out of seven to override the CEO. The board originally passed the budget by a 5-2 vote.
“At the end of the day, I’d rather have a budget -- a tough budget -- rather than no budget,” Ellis said Friday from Washington, D.C. “It’s not about political one-upmanship, which is what a veto would be, but about providing the best possible services to the residents of this county.”
However, it’s unlikely the commission will approve the increase. Commissioners have previously said they would not raise taxes during the tough economy.
Commissioner Lee May, chairman of the budget committee, said he was still reviewing the proposal. “We need to talk to him [Ellis] to make sure it’s just an interim increase because I think it’s a really shortsighted approach,” May said.
Under Ellis' plan, the owner of a home valued at $200,000 would see a $200 annual increase in property taxes. His initial proposal called for a $264 annual increase. The average home in DeKalb is valued at $192,000, county spokesman Burke Brennan said.
That money would go to police, fire, the courts, district attorney, sheriff, IT and some other departments, Ellis said. It still does not address cuts made to parks, libraries or Grady Memorial Hospital.
According to the proposal obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the CEO is looking at outsourcing animal control, rescue service, physical exams/drug testing, and facilities maintenance. The county is also looking to have the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs take over county recreation centers.
Ellis said he is still looking at the impact of the $33.6 million in approved budget cuts, but initial reports show election workers face 18 furlough days, three libraries would close and mowing at rights of way would have to be reduced.
“The government will operate, but it will operate with a reduction in services. It will be fewer officers on the street and slower 911 response times,” Ellis said. “An interim compromise would allow us to keep going in some very critical areas.”
Ellis said he also has no plans to cut Public Safety Director William “Wiz” Miller. The budget approved by the commission calls for Miller’s $150,000-a-year job to be eliminated.
Commissioners have said this position is an extra level of bureaucracy.
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