Pointing to "significant" inflationary increases in the cost of "materials, services and labor," the Catoosa County Board of Commissioners has announced a budget that includes increased property taxes.
As part of that budget's adoption process, three public meetings will be held at the Catoosa County Administrative Building, 800 Lafayette St. in Ringgold, according to a media release from the county. The meetings will be at 9 a.m and 6 p.m. Thursday and at 6 p.m. Aug. 19.
"After six years of holding the line on property taxes, we are left with the difficult choice to raise property taxes this year in the face of increased needs and costs for public safety and county services," Larry Black, chairman of the Board of Commissioners, said in the release.
"We have carefully reviewed each department in search of efficiencies, but in order to maintain our essential services and remain competitive in the workforce, we have to make an adjustment," Black said. "The increase we are proposing is not final, as we still have work to do that includes feedback from citizens during three upcoming public hearings."
Catoosa County's proposed $36.5 million budget is a 10.99%, or $3.6 million, increase over last year's budget, according to the proposed budget. Though county officials said the final rate will most likely be less than what's proposed, the millage rate in the county's proposed budget is 7.568 mills.
That's an increase of 1.75 mills (30.08%) over the "rollback rate" of 5.818, which is the amount that would be levied to bring in the same amount of tax revenue despite increasing property values.
Fiscal year 2023 begins on Oct. 1.
At the Aug. 2 commission meeting, several Catoosa County residents urged the commission to cut spending rather than raise taxes in a difficult economy. Also at the meeting, Chris Arnt, district attorney of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, asked for a budget increase to hire more attorneys. The judicial circuit covers Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade and Walker counties.
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The proposed tax increase would cost an additional $117.84 per year for the owner of a home with a fair-market value of $175,000 who receives a homestead exemption, officials estimate. The proposed tax increase for nonhomestead property with the same value would be $121.31.
Under Georgia law, a homestead exemption gives a tax break on owner-occupied properties.
At the Aug. 2 commission meeting, Rachel Clark, chief financial officer for Catoosa County, said the 1.75 millage rate increase was "the worst case scenario," and she said county officials may instead impose an increase of 1.53 mills. During work sessions and meetings, more than $2 million was cut from the requested budget, she said.
The price of gas has gone up, and the cost of building repairs are "outrageous," Clark said. There are lots of vacancies in the county's Fire Department, Public Works Department and Sheriff's Office, and she said understaffing means, "it's harder for the workers we do have."
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The Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit's budget increase request is to hire three attorneys, Arnt said, who are already trained and, "ready to turn around tomorrow." With 34 employees, he said the department is eight employees short, and "almost every single one of those has left for more money."
Arnt also said 94% to 95% of his budget goes to personnel.
"We're not a woke or progressive DA's office - we take crime and punishment very seriously," Arnt said. "We're No. 1 out of the 50 judicial districts in the state against punishment for sexual-related offenses and child abuse, and, I think, No. 3 in stiffest sentences in violent crime altogether. We'd like to have the personnel to keep it that way."
During the public comment part of the Aug. 2 meeting, Cherise Miller, also a Catoosa county resident, said she thinks there is more room for cuts in the county's budget.
Miller said she was concerned about increased benefits for county commissioners and salary increases for county employees, adding that she thinks county employees should drive their personal cars to work. "Millions" of dollars are being wasted in the county, Miller said. She said spending requests to the commission are rarely rejected. She also questioned whether budget requests are ever researched before a "yes" vote is given.
Phyllis Williams, a resident of Catoosa County, said when the commissioners "cut the fat" out the budgets, taxpayers don't know where that money goes - and she'd like to see that publicly posted. She said she wants an external audit conducted so the public can see how its tax dollars are being spent, Williams said, and also so the commissioners won't have to be "beat up" at every meeting over budgets.
Contact Andrew Wilkins at awilkins@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659. Follow him on Twitter @tweetatwilkins.