State of Hall County: hold spending, pass SPLOST V

GAINESVILLE - Hall County&#39;s commission chairman told local Republicans Saturday morning that 2004 will be a marginal year.<br> <br> That&#39;s because county revenues remain marginal, just barely improving over last year.<br> <br> In his State of the County Address Gary Gibbs said he wants department budget increases held to two and a half percent.<br> <br> Gibbs also made a pitch for SPLOST V, saying the alternative to SPLOST dollars to fund county projects is a big property tax increase.<br> Gibbs said if SPLOST V does not pass four mills would be added to the current tax load for a total of ten-point-four mills.<br> <br> Projects SPLOST V is slated to fund add up to $85-million and include a new jail, land fill improvements, new fire stations, road improvements and water and sewer system expansion.<br> <br> Gibbs is saying the same thing in 2004 that he said in 2003 about county growth.<br> <br> At the Republican Forum Gibbs said the county needs less residential growth and more commercial, industrial and business growth.<br> <br> &#34;More and more and more of the tax burden is falling on the home owner,&#34; Gibbs said. &#34;We don&#39;t want more burden to fall on the business owner, what we want is more businesses.&#34;<br>

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