Lutz predicts commission division over budget

FLOWERY BRANCH - It was another packed house Saturday night in the historic Flowery Branch depot and the show once more was the proposed 2012 budget with its possible massive cuts and a possible tax increase to stop those cuts.

This budget meeting was called by Commissioner Craig Lutz, who opposes the 1.41 mill tax hike to cover an $11.5- million dollar deficit.

Lutz said the county commission is split over raising taxes because of the call for additional budget hearings to consider the tax increase.

"In my opinion there is a division," Lutz said. "Unfortunately this notice of a potential tax increase is going to keep us divided longer. Had the notice not run we would have had to come together to come up with a budget at the $85-million mark."

The notices beginning Monday notify citizens that the hearings are scheduled June 21st at 6:00 p.m.at the Georgia Mountains Center and June 30th at noon and at 6:00 p.m. Following the evening hearing commissioners must adopt the budget.

"Because of the notice there is a group of people who are holding out hope that the budget will be at $92-million," Lutz added. "I am against the tax increase, I am against a roll-up in the general fund, the revenues are down and our county needs to get smaller. This is not a time in our economy when we need to be passing the burden on to the taxpayers."

People in favor of the tax increase to prevent a virtual shut down of county Parks and Leisure and other big service reductions made the most comments, bringing on accusations of a stacked audience. Lutz called it a "disproportionate audience," estimating that about 30 percent of the people at his hearing were opposed to the tax increase.

Kimberly Riggan supports keeping Chicopee Ag Center open because she said it makes money and she supports the tax increase.

"Sometimes taxes are important, not that we like them but we have to do it sometimes," she said.

Lutz said the Ag Center costs a half million dollars to run and brings in half that amount yearly.

Taxpayer David Coffey, opposed to the tax hike, said the county is focusing on Parks and Leisure service cuts.

"Parks and Recreation is what is getting the people out here," Coffey said. "If they had said they were going to cut some other service nobody cared about nobody would have showed up and said raise my taxes," Coffey said.