TAX INCREASE PUBLIC HEARING DATES
› Aug. 23: 6 p.m. at the courthouse annex, located at 201 S. Main Street in LaFayette› Aug. 30: 10 a.m. at the Walker County Civic Center, located at 10052 U.S. Highway 27 in Rock Spring› Aug. 30: 6 p.m. at the courthouse annex, located at 201 S. Main Street in LaFayette
LAFAYETTE, Ga. - The first time Walker County Commissioner Shannon Whitfield unveiled a budget, the clerk of courts announced Whitfield broke the law and walked out without explanation.
Carter Brown did not speak publicly about the issue, but Whitfield later admitted that he had not followed state law. He was supposed to publish the county's budget a week before he passed it. Residents were supposed to have seven days to comb over the financial plan. Instead, Whitfield finished the budget 30 minutes before the meeting. (Admitting his mistake, he later held public hearings in November.)
On top of that, Whitfield increased taxes by 52-70 percent, depending on what part of the county you lived in. This year, though, Whitfield does not believe the process will be so dramatic.
The tax rate will remain the same, though some people will pay more to the local government after their homes were re-assessed. (Overall, property values in the county went up $16.5 million this year, a 1.3 percent increase.) This is the fourth time in five years that property owners have paid more money to the county.
Last year, Whitfield held meetings in August that stretched beyond two hours, explaining the county's debts and warning residents that their bills would increase. This year, he will hold meetings on Aug. 23 and Aug. 30. He does not expect them to last so long.
In the days leading up to the budget reveal last year, Whitfield said he worked until midnight, combing through the line items of each department. His predecessor, Bebe Heiskell, published budgets that were four pages long, with no detail for how each department would spend money. Whitfield's first budget was 73 pages long.
Departments such as Mountain Cove Farms and the landfill had no budget at all under Heiskell, he said. This time around, Whitfield and the department heads have a detailed report to build off, rather than having to create one from scratch.
"We've got so much better data that we know is good information," said Whitfield, who took office in January 2017. "It makes it much easier to go and replicate and know the things we want to continue to do and continue to fund."
Whitfield has discussed finances during meetings with the sheriff, clerk of court, tax commissioner, probate court judge and magistrate court judge. He has since told Sheriff Steve Wilson his department will receive about $274,000 more this year, a 3.4 percent bump.
Whitfield plans to meet with the rest of the department heads over the next couple of weeks, telling them how much money they're going to get. He plans to give Brown enough money to hire a couple more employees in the clerk's office. He also plans to provide money for Tax Commissioner Carolyn Walker to install new state-required software. (Walker said the program will cost $30,000).
Wilson said the sheriff's office will spend the extra money on pay raises and a new X-ray machine at the courthouse. He's not yet sure how he will increase employee pay - whether it be an across-the-board, percentage increase or a flat amount for each employee.
The X-ray machine at the main entrance broke about four months ago, Wilson said. Deputies have used a wand on people entering the building since then. A new machine will cost about $23,000. Overall, Wilson hopes to send Whitfield a copy of his budget by the close of business Monday.
"We're pleased," Wilson said. "It's not what we need. But it's a doable budget."
Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at 423-757-6476 or tjett@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @LetsJett.