Whitfield County Finance Director Ron HaleDALTON, Ga. - Both Whitfield County and Dalton governments have lost revenue and cut their budgets since the economic downturn began, but the city's coffers are in great shape while the county is struggling to pay its bills, officials say.
County Finance Director Ron Hale and city Finance Director Cindy Jackson crunched budget numbers for the charter commission Wednesday. The commission is tasked with looking at merging the two governments and presenting a recommendation by next April.
Dalton has cut property taxes in each of the last four years and increased its fund balance from $12 million to $19 million during the same time.
Whitfield County has held its property tax steady, but has dipped into reserves to make up for falling revenues. Its fund balance dropped from $22 million last year to an expected $10 million by the end of this year, which is below state-recommended levels.
The county has one of the lowest property tax rates in the state and spends less per resident than many comparable counties, Hale noted.
County officials have said they expect to raise property taxes next year to balance the budget.