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Catoosa County held the first of two public hearings on Tuesday morning for the 2007-08 fiscal year budget.

Commissioner Bobby Winters said he is pleased with the numbers.

“Our budget really looks good,” he said. “We are going to be able to give taxpayers a rollback in the millage rate. I am still excited we can still do a lot of things for our county and give the taxpayers a break too.”

Chops for fire, Colonnade

One major difference in the new budget is the reduction of support for Fort Oglethorpe Fire & Rescue from $175,000 to nothing and Post Volunteer Fire Department from $216,000 to $100,000.

In June, requests were made for an additional $145,000 for Fort Oglethorpe Fire & Rescue and for $492,000 more to add eight full-time firefighters for the Post. After receiving the request, commissioners moved forward on a potential consolidation of county fire services.

Chairman Bill Clark officially appointed a Fire Resource Committee on Tuesday including Commissioner Dewayne Hill, Fort Oglethorpe Fire & Rescue Chief Bruce Ballew, Post Volunteer Fire Department Chairman Marlin Thompson, alternate Merv McDonald, Catoosa County Fire & Rescue Chief Chuck Gass, Catoosa Deputy Chief Jim White, and alternate James Dycus.

The Colonnade funding was slashed again by 50 percent as a result of the plan approved earlier in the year by a majority of commissioners — county financial support for the program will be $58,125.

Commissioners Clark, Bobby Winters and Dewayne Hill voted for the proposal in January that will gradually cut off county funding completely for the Colonnade by December 2008.

Comments at the Aug. 7 public hearing at the Governmental Building came from only a handful of attendees.

Among those requesting more funds were Fort Oglethorpe Mayor Judd Burkhart asking for $267,146 plus three firefighters for the Fort Oglethorpe Fire & Rescue; Marlin Thompson asking for return of funds for the Post plus the addition of full-time firefighters; and Martha Eaker, Catoosa County Chamber president requesting $40,000 in support for tourism and economic development programs coordinated by the Chamber.

Inside the numbers

The proposed $23,104,133 general fund budget faced many challenges according to Carl Henson, Catoosa County chief financial officer.

“Revenue has remained essentially flat except for Local Option Sales Tax,” he said.

LOST revenue increased $903,660, according to Henson, coupled with 4.3 percent growth in the 2007 Tax Digest generating an additional $359,709 in ad valorem taxes.

Henson said, according to state law, the LOST proceeds are used to rollback ad valorem taxes, which will result in a .410 millage rate reduction, or $641,645, leaving a net increase in tax revenue of $621,724.

The general fund will see an increase in expenses and revenues of $627,669.

“The major components being salaries and wages,” Henson said.

While there are 26 budgetary departments anticipated to see increases over the current year, Henson attributes the increases to personnel or insurance costs.

A cost of living increase and additional personnel in Catoosa Fire & Rescue amounted to $377,700, he said.

Health insurance premiums increased 18 percent or $473,423, Henson said.

The total increase for county fire services is $362,748 over the current year.

In addition to the general fund budget, the county also operates a Special Revenue Fund of $1,503,599, an Enterprise Fund of $832,215, and a Capital Project Fund of $8.6 million, which bring the total annual budget to $34,039,947.

The next public hearing on the budget is Aug. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Governmental Building. Commissioners are expected to adopt the budget and the county millage rate at the meeting following this hearing.

In other business Tuesday, Aug. 7 at the Governmental Building, the Catoosa County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to:

* Approve a five-year franchise agreement with Comcast of the South with a 5 percent franchise fee.

* Table completion of an agreement with Envision Ecology, LLC relating to mitigation banking.

* Request the Georgia Department of Transportation share $200,000 with Ringgold and Fort Oglethorpe from the $2 million in federal transportation funds it’s holding for the county’s use.

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