Since Fulton County has not finalized its tax digest for the year, Sandy Springs can’t have its planned millage rate public hearing Tuesday. But the City Council will hear from the public on the proposed budget for 2012.
Tuesday’s public hearing on the budget will be the first of two, said John McDonough, city manager. It will be held at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 7840 Roswell Road, Building 500.
“From our conversations with the Fulton County Tax Assessors Office, it is anticipated that the tax digest will be finalized in early July,” he said. “After that time, the city will hold two public hearings to set the FY12 millage rate.”
This delay will not hold up the budget process, however. And as a final budget is crafted, residents are weighing in on what they think is important for the budget year that starts July 1.
Jim Buckner, who has lived in the area since the '80s, said he’s pleased with the fiscal conservatism exercised by the council, but he wants to see the council take it a step further.
“There is a lot that is really good, but there is this notion of saving money one place and spend it somewhere else,” he said. “I would like the city to find a way to rebate property owners, or reduce taxes, when there is a collection surplus over what was budgeted.”
Susan Joseph, a 22-year resident of the area, said she hopes the council puts infrastructure high on its list of priorities.
“I would like to see more of the budget dedicated to the stormwater runoff issues,” she said. “In my personal view, the council has given more attention to aesthetic things like sidewalks, which we need, but we don’t need them before we fix our stormwater runoff problem.”
She said it is not that the council doesn’t take care of the city’s drainage issues, but “the level of priority is not as high as I think it should be.”
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