Columbia County and the City of Grovetown will be holding budget public hearings on Tuesday, May 2.
The Columbia County budget hearing will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium. According to the general fund proposed budget, the proposed original balance revenues is $88.7 million with an adjust projected revenues of 5% digest increase with rollback for $6,521,109 for a total of $95,175,961 in adjusted revenues. The county is proposing a balanced general fund budget with the projected expenditures at $95 million. The county budget is seeing an increase from the 2022 budget from $88.7 million to $95 million.
The county is proposing rolling back the net millage from 5.147 to 4.999, according to the 2023 tax digest projection. With the rolled back millage rate, the net M&O taxes levied for 2023 is projected to be $38 million, which is a slight increase from the current 2022-2023 budget of $37.6 million.
After the budget hearing on May 2, a joint budget committee meeting will take place on May 16 at 4:30 p.m. in the auditorium prior to the commissioners meeting if needed. The budget adoption will take place on June 20 during the Board of Commissioners meeting at 6 p.m., according to the proposed budget calendar.
The City of Grovetown will hold its budget hearing at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Grovetown City Hall on Tuesday, May 2. The city held an off-site meeting on Friday, April 21 for department heads and council members to discuss the budget before the first budget hearing next month. Finance Director and assistant city manager Bradley Smith said the more than $13.7 million budget is balanced.
“You have a balanced budget, always a key takeaway,” Smith said during that meeting “…council always remember the budget is not set in stone, you can change it anytime y’all want.”
For the general budget, the projected expenditures are general government ($4.4 million), public works ($2.7 million), public safety ($4. 3 million), recreation and leisure ($1.2 million), planning and zoning ($721,665) and municipal court ($297,842) for a total of $13,733,550.
The projected revenues include property taxes ($4 million), local option sales tax ($3.95 million), other taxes ($2.8 million), garbage fees ($1.725 million), LMIG ($140,000), fines and forfeitures ($421,000), licenses, fees and permits ($490,000) and miscellaneous ($121,000) for a total of $13,733,550.
With this budget, Smith said the city is proposing to maintain the current millage rate of 7.62 mills.
The budget includes incorporating a proposed 3% COLA and merit raises for all employees who meet performance evaluation standards and have five-year anniversaries, four additional personnel (general services superintendent, streets LEO and two firefighters), approximately $250,000 in capital equipment sourced in the general fund budget, almost $8.5 million in personnel costs, and a vehicle allowance for all department heads and the city clerk (excluded department heads with take home vehicle).
Citizens can request a copy of the budget from the city. The first reading of the budget will take place during the city council meeting on Monday, May 8, with the second reading taking place on Monday, June 12. If approved, the budget will begin on July 1.
Stephanie Hill is a staff writer covering Columbia County government for The Augusta Press. Reach her at stephanie@theaugustapress.com.
