The Demorest City Council is down to the wire for setting the city’s millage rate with only weeks left to the Nov. 1 due date, and the council hasn’t seen the budget yet.
While Mayor Rick Austin advocated for setting a millage rollback to 5.16 mills at Tuesday night’s meeting, the council wasn’t comfortable setting a millage rate before seeing the rough outline of the budget.
Austin said that after speaking with City Accountant Alan Burton, who is creating the budget, he was advised that rolling back the millage rate for the city was “easily achievable,” and that the council could move forward with a rollback.
“At the end of the day, we’re either for tax increases or we’re not,” Austin said. “Every person in this nation—and let’s just talk about this city— is paying more for gas at the pump, paying more for groceries at the grocery store, paying more for clothes, and if you’re trying to buy ammunition or a firearm, you’re probably not finding it, and if you are, you’re paying five times the price for it. Everybody is paying more.”
However, the members of the council did not want to move forward without seeing the budget themselves and speaking with the accountant.
“We’re supposed to be looking at the budget, a rough version of the budget, and I know we have to get this done, but I would like to talk to Mr. Burton myself,” Councilman Nathan Davis said. “I don’t want to be rushed to do this, and I feel like I’m being rushed tonight to do this, I’d like to at least see the rough budget and see where we are.”
The city will discuss its audit report at an upcoming public meeting, followed by its budget and millage rate discussions, public hearing and vote.
The city council has tentatively set dates for budget and millage rate discussion, vote and public hearing. Those times and dates are Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 11 a.m. and at 6 p.m. in the Demorest Municipal Courtroom.
A recording of the meeting is available on the city’s Facebook page.
