During a public hearing before the Board of Commissioners, Walker County residents spoke out about possible resolutions to the county’s $2.8 million proposed budget shortfall.
Residents including Ed Jones expressed frustration with Chair Angie Teems’ decisions. Jones said that as county CEO, Teems should be demanding accountability from county employees and departments to prevent excess spending.
Another resident, Robbie Tate, proposed raising the county’s property taxes.
“I ask this not to fund a drastic increase in the proposed county budget but to prevent a potentially dangerous scenario from occurring,” Tate said at the Thursday meeting.
By raising property taxes to help alleviate costs, he said the county could prevent an over-reliance on fees used to fund emergency services like firefighting.
Teems said by phone the day after the meeting that one of the largest budget increases came from the county’s new ambulance contract. The cost of the deal went from $250,000 to $600,000. Other reasons for the increase in spending, she said, included cost-of-living adjustments for all county employees, totaling about $1 million, and state-mandated raises for the District Attorney’s Office.
Residents voice concerns, propose solutions for Walker County’s proposed budget shortfall
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Thursday’s meeting lasted about two hours and 40 minutes, with the majority of that time used to discuss the budget. Other citizens read from prepared speeches, cited state law and asked the board questions.
“Everything is on the table right now,” Teems said by phone. “We haven’t raised taxes in nine years. At some point, the cost of living for the county is going to catch up to us.”
Teems said she wasn’t surprised at the questions or concerns residents voiced, and she will continue to invite citizens to come to her office to speak more.
(READ MORE: Most tax authorities in Northwest Georgia will honor tax relief bill)
“The best government is the one that engages with its citizens,” Teems said during the meeting. “My commitment is to be responsible and manage the tax dollars appropriately with transparency, focusing on ensuring today’s decisions and investments lead to a better future.”
Commissioners will continue to work on the budget until their Aug. 6 meeting, Teems said. That’s when the county is scheduled to adopt the final budget.
Contact Northwest Georgia reporter Ignacio Perez at iperez@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6710.