The Monroe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved on Thursday, Aug. 5 to set a tentative millage rate of 13.187 mills for 2021, which is the same rate that was set in 2020.
Commissioners will next hold three public hearings on the matter with the first to be held at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 18 in the regular meeting room on the third floor of the county administration building. The second public hearing will be held at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 25 at the same location while the third public hearing will be held later that same day at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 25, also in the regular meeting room. A formal vote will be taken to set a final 2021 millage rate at the conclusion of the 6 p.m. public hearing on Aug. 25.
The three public hearings are required because Commissioners did not roll back the 2021 millage and instead set a tentative millage rate that is 0.27 mills higher than the rollback figure of 12.917 mills. Commissioners will not be able to set a millage any higher than the 13.187 mill figure being advertised as its tentative millage, but they could still lower the amount further when they set the final millage number.
Commissioners had previously rolled back taxes for the past two years after maintaining the same millage rate in 2018. Commissioners have still not raised taxes since a 1.5-mill hike in 2017 of which 1 mill was dedicated to saving Monroe County Hospital after receiving approval via countywide referendum to do so.
According to 2021 Monroe County tax digest projections, 13.187 mills will generate $20,408,091 in property tax revenue, which is up $1,431,611 from the $18,976,480 in property taxes generated a year ago at the same millage rate.
Under the current projected millage, a Monroe County homeowner with a home valued at $250,000 who has a Homestead Exemption would pay $1,160 in county property taxes for 2021, which is the same as in 2020. The only way that a homeowner would pay more in property taxes in 2021 than he/she did in 2020 is if the homeowner’s property valuation has risen due to reassessment.
Monroe County Manager Jim Hedges said that just over $1.01 million of the $1.43 million in additional revenue the county is projected to receive in 2021 is attributed to new growth while the remaining $420,000 is attributed to reassessed valuations on existing property.
Monroe County Finance Director Lorri Robinson and County Manager Jim Hedges will now build a 2022 budget based on the county maintaining the same millage rate as in 2020.
Prior to setting the tentative millage on Thursday, Commissioners decided not to put any road resurfacing money into the 2022 budget, allowing Monroe County citizens to make the decision whether they want county roads resurfaced next year. Monroe County citizens will decide in a Nov. 2 referendum whether to impose a one-cent Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) over the next five years that would allow the county to take in approximately $14.3 million to be used exclusively on the resurfacing of Monroe County roads. Should that measure pass, 150 to 175 miles of county roads could be resurfaced over the next five years. If it fails to pass, Commissioners will be left without any road funds until at least 2023.
District 4 Commissioner George Emami said he tells citizens: “If you really want to increase the funding to the roads in Monroe County, then pass the TSPLOST. And that way at some point the people in this county will get where there’s enough people that are tired of the roads being the way they are and they’ll be ready to fund it.”
District 1 Commissioner Lamarcus Davis said Monroe County citizens need to understand that out-of-county travelers will pay approximately half of the sales taxes collected with TSPLOST. Commissioner Emami noted that 96 of 157 Georgia counties already impose a penny sales tax for transportation and said Monroe Countians without realizing it are helping the other 96 counties pay for their road maintenance when they eat or shop in those counties.
“You go to any of those 96 counties and buy a Big Mac, and you’re paying to help fund their roads,” Commissioner Emami said. “Meanwhile, they come here and they’re using our roads and breaking them up.” District 3 Commissioner John Ambrose immediately chimed in echoing Commissioner Emami’s sentiment: “And our taxpayers foot the bill.”
Other new expenses Commissioners discussed on Thursday was how much to fund Monroe County Emergency Services (MCES). Commissioners are considering County Manager Hedges’ proposed amount of new MCES personnel (12 firefighters/EMTs at a cost of $696,600). In addition, MCES Chief Matt Jackson said a proposed 15-year lease/purchase agreement on 12 additional fire trucks would cost $460,000 in 2021 if Commissioners agree to the deal. Jackson estimated the lease/purchase agreement would save the county about $4.4 million over the course of 15 years versus buying a single new fire truck each year. County Manager Hedges said if Jackson receives a federal grant that will give him additional funding for six new firefighters, the funding allocated in the 2021 budget for new firefighters/EMTs can be shifted to buy a new ambulance.
County Manager also proposed trimming his initial Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) for county employees from 4 percent to 2 percent, which will cost a projected $250,000. Meanwhile, additional capital expenditures are expected to cost about $450,000.
County Manager Hedges said with all the projected expenses accounted for, Commissioners currently have a projected $621,000 in undesignated funds in 2022 as well as about $900,000 in contingency. County Manager Hedges said the undesignated funds could still be budgeted for yet-to-be-determined needs, such as a potential health insurance cost increase.
At the conclusion of the hour-long called meeting on Thursday, District 2 Commissioner Eddie Rowland motioned to set the tentative millage rate at 13.187 mills. Commissioner Emami immediately seconded Rowland’s motion, and it passed 5-0.
