Commissioners adopt budget with no tax hike

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners adopted today a 2011 budget with no tax increase this year. The adopted budget was a milder version of County CEO Burrell Ellis’ $563 million proposal which included a property tax rate millage increase 0f 2.32 mils.

County commissioners hosted several budget town hall meetings in local communities and two in North Atlanta alone last week - Montgomery Elementary School in Brookhaven hosted by Commissioner Elaine Boyer and one in Chamblee at the North DeKalb Senior Center hosted by Commissioner Kathie Gannon. Residents sounded off on everything from the proposed tax hike, cuts in the recreation and parks department to the cuts in the county extension service which is home to the master gardening program.

Brookhaven residents and locals nearby voiced concerns around the proposal to close and the satellite tax office on Dresden Drive.

It was unclear last night whether the recreation center and tax office would be closed. Susan Meyers, spokesperson in Boyer's office, said the budget was cut by department and it would be up to the CEO to determine how to allocate the remaining funds for each department.

Commissioner Elaine Boyer (D-1) praised fellow commissioners for adopting a 2011 spending plan that would forgo the 12 percent tax increase.

“The citizens have spoken, commissioners have heard them and we have kept spending to reasonable levels for this year,” Boyer said in a press release. “No matter what the CEO said, we knew the county could live within its means.  DeKalb families have to do it, and county government should have to do it as well.”

The $530 million spending plan for 2011 includes 8.9 percent cuts to most departments and a 4.5 percent cuts to others. Highlights include a reduction to the county’s fire department – a savings that will be realized when it outsources emergency medical services to a private contractor similar to other counties in Metro Atlanta.

Boyer said to compromise, cuts were made in the commissioners' offices and the CEO's budget. 

"Taxpayers are struggling to stay in their homes and we must do our part and not increase their tax burden.”

The recession and a projected loss of $12.8 million in revenue, commissioners had to decide whether to go along with CEO Burrell Ellis’ proposed 2.32 mill tax hike or find budget cuts. Ellis proposed a budget plan that increased spending $39 million over 2010 levels despite the projected loss in revenue.