Hall Commission passes compromise budget with no tax hike

GAINESVILLE - On a motion from Commissioner Scott Gibbs, he and three other commissioners voted for a compromise budget that still cuts employees and departments but buys time for parks and recreation, and cuts the community services center by $120,000.

Public Works would lose an additional 20 jobs, Parks and Recreation would operate under current funding until September. The Department of Family and Children Services is cut completely.

"We tried to do it across the board," Gibbs said. "We tried to provide our essential services."

Chairman Tom Oliver got no votes for his tax increase of proposal to raise the millage by 1.41 mills other than his own vote.

Oliver said this budget would do more harm than any budget passed on Hall County adding that by cutting DFACS and the senior services center, the county is harming its weakest citizens.
Commissioner Craig Lutz said the tax payers cannot afford a tax increase, and the tax hike would have taken $8-million out of the economy and returning only $2-million.

Commissioner Ashley Bell said SPLOST would shore up public works with bids from private companies. He asked the Board to reconsider the $120,000 cut to the community service center but Billy Powell, who proposed the cut, said he wanted to leave it in for now.
Center Director Phillippa Lewis Moss said at least she can decide where to make the cuts.

"They made the decision to reduce the dollars but they didn't go further and elect what they wanted to keep and what they wanted to not keep," Moss said.
Moss added the county's cut could lead to budget adjustments by the city and federal grant cutbacks.

The budget is full of cuts but has some concessions. Among the additional reductions, no employee retirement match and departmental service and supply is cut. There is a proposal to increase building inspection and planning fees to make them comparable to neighboring local governments.

Clerk of Courts is cut by $175,000, and the North and South Hall tax offices would close. Public Works loses another 20 employees with three more from Planning and two more from building inspections. Public Works Director Ken Reardon hopes he can continue providing basic services.

"I don't know how much its going to affect us until we get finished with this reorganization," Reardon said. " We have to totally reorganize public works."

Reardon said all SPLOST projects done by county workers will go out for bids to private contractors.

County offices now occupying rental space would move into county owned buildings by January, with the Elections office moving by September 1st. The Department of Family and Children's Services loses all county funding, $239,000 with $120,000 cut from all other agencies and non-profits. Library system cuts remain the same at $440,000.

Parks and Leisure Services loses $1-million with $1.4-million left to operate until September 1st while looking for privatization. The Grand total is $10.7-million; $708,650 from the county's fund balance balances the budget.