Catoosa Commissioner Jim CutlerWhat's Next• Catoosa County will hold the final public hearing on Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. and after the hearing the commission will most likely announce the new tax rate, and then can proceed in the process of approving next year's budget.• Budget workshops will take place on Aug. 25 and 26 at 2 p.m., and anyone from the public is welcome to attend.• The workshops and hearing will be held at 800 LaFayette Street.• Ringgold will hold three public hearings Aug. 25, at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., and Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 150 Tennessee St.
Catoosa County, Ga.'s, proposed property tax increase had several taxpayers asking for a tightening of the government's belt in a public hearing Thursday night that boiled down to political ethics over dollars.
"The economy is not in a growth mode, so why is the county?" asked Denise Burns, who lives in Catoosa County.
The county's proposed property tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, calls for an 11 percent increase in the amount paid to the local government. This increase would equate to an additional $34 in taxes per $120,000 worth of property owned.
"I am asking the county to trim it's own budget, just like all of us have had to trim our budgets," said county resident Sarah Wade. "Dig-deep, make the hard cuts, so that you don't have to be taking money that we don't have."
Commissioner Jim Cutler explained to the half-filled room of about 30 concerned citizens that county revenue has been down and the demand for services within the county is continually rising.
The tax increase would bring an additional $1.1 million in revenue to the local government, according to Tax Commissioner Sandra Self.
The budget for fiscal year 2015 was presented at the hearing by the county's Chief Financial Officer Carl Henson. His PowerPoint showed a proposed overall budget of roughly $25 million with a shortfall of roughly $521,000.
"My 10-year-old could probably find $521,000 somewhere in [the budget] to cut," said Jeremy Jones, chairman of the Catoosa County Republican Party.
Jones asked the commissioners, who he said all were elected Republicans, to adhere to what he considered to be the Republican principle of cost-cutting before implementing a tax increase.
It was the principle of the issue that concerned taxpayers on Thursday night, as property taxes are being cut in other areas, according to the proposed budget.
It is proposed that taxpayers in Catoosa County will experience a decrease of 0.11 percent in taxes paid to schools, and a decrease of 33 percent in the amount paid to the state government.
If the proposed property tax adjustments are passed, and local government taxes increase while the state government and school taxes decrease, taxpayers will experience only a slight increase in the amount of property taxes they owe next fiscal year compared to the current one.
Taxpayer's will experience a net-property tax increase of .179 mills, which is an additional $8.59 per $120,000 of property owned.
Though many taxpayers were upset with the commission, Commissioner Bobby Waters believes that the public hearings "have been helpful."
"It is good to hear what the people have to say, and I hope that they leave reminded that I am just like them," Waters said.
Thursday night was the second of three public hearings regarding the tax increase. These hearings are required anytime the city, county or school system proposes an increase in the property tax rate.
The city of Ringgold wants to raise its property tax by about 3 percent and similar tax increases have been proposed in Walker County, Ga.
Contact staff writer Kendi Anderson at kendi.anderson@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6592.