The Habersham County Commission Wednesday held its first public hearing on next year’s budget.
The proposed budget includes increases in public safety staffing and wages that would increase the budget by $1.3 million. However, through budget reductions and savings in other areas, county officials say the net increase in the millage rate will be approximately $436,000 or .366 mils. The hospital bond millage rate will increase by .2 mils, and the Emergency Medical Services millage rate will increase by .06.
County Manager Phil Sutton says the overall annual increase for the average household will be $28.80 if the measure is approved as is.
“The primary benefits of changes in this year’s budget will be to improve the County’s ability to attract and retain public safety personnel,” Sutton says, “and to provide better protection to the County in the areas of law enforcement, sheriff’s jail, fire department, public works, and E911 communications. We are making an effort to slow down the turnover rate particularly in public safety department.”
Habersham County merged its fire and emergency services into one department earlier this year. Sutton says the impact of making that change had a negligible impact on this proposed budget. “We believe in the long run it will be (a) finance benefit,” he says, “however, we need to see what our actual experience is from changes to the billing processes.”
A second and final hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled for 6 p.m. June 21 in the commission conference room.
Copies of the proposed FY2018-2019 annual budget are now available at the Habersham County Administration Building. A summary can be found on the County’s website at www.habershamga.com.
