Dahlonega attorney Al Barr told Superintendent Dewey Moye and school board members that Lumpkin County is in a "second depression" with unemployment at 15 percent. A rate hike means about $80 more in taxes tax on the average home valued at $150,000.
"I don't want to see a tax increase," Barr said. "In a time like this, you cut, you don't increase."
The Board heard teacher Bobby Mayfield and parent Deborah Morgan side with the school system on finances; Moye said the board wants more cuts without cutting jobs or teacher supplements.
Lumpkin offers a seven percent supplement to the state's base salary and teacher pay is at stake if the tax hike does not pass.
Mayfield said Lumpkin has a "Cadillac" school system on a Buick budget but you've got to put gas in the Buick to keep it running and take care of the teachers. Mayfield said Lumpkin's 12-month employees voluntarily took a four-day furlough before Gov. Sonny Perdue requested three teacher furlough days by the end of the calendar year statewide.
Morgan said Lumpkin should maintain its school system to attract good businesses and suggested a mass volunteer effort among school parents to work at the schools in some capacity and offset operating costs.
Moye said board budget talks would continue next week with a search for more ways to cut the budget.
"We've already cut $850,000 and we'll continue to that," Moye said. "We'd prefer to do that by attrition and not cut jobs and not cut teacher supplements."
Finance Director Angela Davis said during a power point presentation that 13.25 mills are need to offset the effects of a weak economy, new tax exemptions and state funding cutbacks.
The Board holds its third and final hearing on the tax increase Wednesday, August 19 at the system central office at 6:30 p.m.
Attorney Al Barr told Superintendent Dewey Moye and school board members that Lumpkin County is in a second 'depression' with unemployment at 15 percent
http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/8/222430