City of Winder to seek slight hike in its fire tax

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In the coming weeks, the Winder City Council will be examining the$34 million budget proposed for Fiscal Year 2009 by theadministrative staff.
At a called April 17 meeting, the council was presented with abrief discussion of the budget proposal by City Administrator BobBeck with Chief Financial Officer Leslie Ginn and some deparmentheadson hand to answer questions.
Among the items under consideration will be the proposal toincrease the fire millage from the current 2.15 mills to 3 mills toassist in generating additional dollars to meet capital needs.
The council tentatively adopted a recommended millage rate thatwill require an increase in the fire tax from 2.15 mills to 3mills.
All concerned citizens are invited to the three public hearings onthe fire tax to be held at the Winder Community Center, 113 E.Athens St., in Winder, Georgia, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7,Monday, May 19, and Tuesday, May 27.
"This increase in funding is needed for the fire department tomaintain the Class 3 ISO rating which was achieved by the City lastfall," said Ginn. The department will need to replace a 1978 laddertruck.
Based on a home with a fair market value of $100,000, the millagerate if raised would result in an increase of approximately $34over last year.
For the residential and commercial property owners who saw thefinancial benefits of the Class 3 ISO on their insurance premiumsin the form of rate reductions, the millage increase is aninvestment in continuation of the lower fire rating's benefit.
The council vote on the actual budget and the millage increase onthe fire tax is expected to come at the council's June 3 meeting.
In the Fiscal 2009 capital requests, the fire department includes$9,200 toward restoration of the 1940 fire truck. refurbishing ofStations 1 and 2 and the $9,000 to completed Phase 4 of thetraining center adjacent to the station on Firetower Road.
Other suggested revenue enhancers include increased in minimumbusiness licenses from $35 to $100 and increasing beer and winelicenses from $300 to $500.
Beck said the city will be considering bumping up the wateravailability charges for those inside the city limits to thatcurrently charged to those outside the city limits. Matching ratesto be reflective of cost recovery of the city's actual servicecosts will likely be better obtained through a rate study by aconsultant. Beck suggests a water, sewer and gas rate study beconducted in the coming year.
Councilman Sonny Morris asked if it was the time to considerputting city property tax back on if the city need funds to operateand expand its infrastructure rather than just continuing to raiseservice rates.
Councilman J.R. Parrish said it rates are to be increased, he wouldwant enhanced communications with customers about the increase,justifying the need for the hike and giving ample time for peopleto react to the impending increase.
Capital expenditures for Fiscal 2009 are projected at $11.3 millionbut some of the capital spending will be deferred, leaving $8million needed to be spent on capital this year, Beck said. "Thedepartment heads have been helping determine what could be in andwhat we could try to wait on but there are a lot of needs."
With a favorable interest rate of less than 3 percent, the councilis borrowing funds for needed capital equipment.
"I need you to take a real hard look at this proposal," said Beck,who urged council members to contact the staff with questions. Hecommended Mayor Chip Thompson for his involvement. "I don't thinkthe mayor has missed a single budget meeting."
Thompson said seeing the magnitude of what is needed forinfrastructure is mind-boggling. The prioritizing of projects hasbeen necessary and he urged councilmen to study the proposal andhave suggestions and comments ready.
The mayor said it will take everyone doing all they can to assistin putting Winder where it's going toward its future.
With the possibility to the $500,000 in Streetscape funding comingfrom the state may be delayed, Beck said the next phase ofStreetscape may be delayed.
For wastewater enhancements, $6.8 million in projects are neededbut all are not likely coming in one fiscal year.
Big dollars will also be needed for water treatment projects in thenear future and hopefully some state grants can help more thoseefforts forward.
"What Winder has is not a water problem but a water storageproblem," said Beck, who offers as solutions a 500,000 elevatedtank, a 5 million gallon inground tank, dredging of City Pond and aline upgrade to Yargo Lake to be able to draw more raw water asneeded and permitted by the state.
A road project on the horizon could find Highway 211 from McNealRoad to Farm Bureau being widened with a straightened intersectionfor Hal Jackson Road to feed into Cedar Creek Church Road toprovide for a traffic signal there.
Enhanced traffic flow in that area would assist as the city andBarrow County are in talks with CSX Transportation about thereopening of the Bankhead-Ed Hogan Road crossing at AtlantaHighway. The reopening would help alleviate some downtown Windertraffic by giving another route to the busy Wal-Mart shopping area.
The council's next regular meeting is slated for Tuesday, May 6, at6 p.m.
Originally published Wednesday, April 23, 2008