Mayor Jonathan McCollar opened the Thursday, October 3 called meeting of the Statesboro City Council at 6 pm.
Public Hearing & Consideration of Approval
Public Hearing and Consideration of a Motion to approve Resolution 2024-27: A Resolution setting the millage rate for Ad Valorem (Property) Taxes for the 2024 calendar year for the City of Statesboro, Georgia.
City Manager Charles Penny described the preparation of the budget by city staff and the reasons that they recommended an increase to a 9.125 millage rate. At 9.125 mills, $700,000 of the reserve fund balance would be used to supplement the general fund in order to fulfill the budget.
Drive for Increase in Millage Rate:
- Increase in the budget of $2.3 million for implementation of city staff's new pay plan.
- $1.2 million must be moved from general fund to fire fund to supplement the grants they received for 12 additional fire fighter and new equipment.
"Our employees are our most important resource, and in this market that that we are in, the labor market is tough... Last year we were dealing with 18 openings in the police department," City Manager Penny said. "With the pay plan, our salaries for our police officers went from $46,000 to a start pay of $55,000 a year."
Resident Don Armel spoke in support of the full millage rate increase.
"As we found out last week, hoping that we don't get hit with another storm didn't work out very well," Armel said, furthering that with the additional permitting of 4,000 new homes, the strain on emergency services will increase and more funding will be needed over time.
He commented that the raise in property tax will likely be less than the raise in homeowners insurance for poor emergency service ISO rating.
Another member of the public agreed with Armel, stating that supporting the increase is supporting the police.
"We aren't done with natural disasters here, by no stretch of imagination," he said.
Marcus Toole said considering his income, he will have to do some creative accounting to work with a tax increase, but with the fallout of the hurricane, he supports the increase as a means to support emergency services.
"Dipping into the emergency fund for the regular budget just isn't a good idea. It doesn't make me feel good. It doesn't make me feel safer," Toole said.
Victor Dickey, who has been a resident since 1966, asked how the fund balance is replenished.
City Manager Penny said that it is incurred through revenue savings and furthered that growing the tax base is key to increasing the fund balance. The 4,000 newly permitted homes will be developments that increase the tax base.
"The biggest thing we can do is get people to shop, spend their money in Statesboro and Bulloch County... Spend your money here, and your taxes, eventually, and this is my opinion, will go down," said Dickey.
Bill Thomas said he doesn't recall any meetings recently where budgets have been negotiated to decrease and save money for citizens, and he urges the council to find ways to shrink the budget and have empathy for taxpayers.
Mayor McCollar wanted to offer insight and show kudos to city staff for pinching pennies and 'punching above their weight' in the services they are able to provide with the $10 million in revenue from property tax.
He exemplified the dozens of dispatchers and officers that worked over time hours during hurricane recovery efforts over the weekend to indicate where those funds are being used.
Council Comment
Council member Paulette Chavers reiterated her support from previous discussion for the full increase of to 9.125 mills.
"Since the storm has come, it's almost like a prophecy; if your eyes don't open now, I just don't know what," she said regarding the need to maintain the reserve fund balance and not use it in the city's budget.
Council member John Riggs, in respect to Chavers' stance said, "I am still against the tax increase at this time. That is because the housing market is skyrocketing and I don't know what's going to happen in the next year, but over the next year, I will reassess this from my point of view, just this seat."
"I have not changed my opinion on the property [tax]. I stand where I stood a week ago. I support the town and I'm praying for us all," Council member Ginny Hendley said.
Mayor Pro-Tem Shari Barr offered a compromise again of 8.625, the mid point between the current and proposed millage rate.
Chavers once again expressed her great dissatisfaction with the other council members stances.
Mayor McCollar commented that his philosophy is to prepare for the worst of times in the best of times, and that he supports the increase. In the previous three years, the reserve fund balance has been utilized each year to supplement the general fund.
He pointed out that the 25% minimum maintained of the fund balance has been in place for 20 years, although goods and services are more expensive, therefore emergency relief would be more expensive.
"This is totally irresponsible to keep putting the citizens of our community through the same rigmarole," said Mayor McCollar. "There's no governing body in this region that's been more sensitive to the needs of the people. We help feed, We passed out 2 million food rations. We set up, we set up funds to help people with electricity. We delegate when families are in trouble. We've done all of the things to help."
"Y'all forget this year, 2024, we had five people lose their lives to gun violence in this community," said Mayor McCollar. "So we made a decision to bring on police officers to secure our city."
Councilmember Riggs reiterated his unwavering stance.
"This is a highly informed decision that I'm making. I've been doing this for a while. I've been reading the same budget book every year. I've seen it. I remember when we had $90,000 in our fund balance. And I'm not being irresponsible, period. I'll leave it there," said Riggs.
Mayor Pro-Tem Barr expressed that she was distressed in the accusatory attitudes she sensed, to which Chavers and McCollar asked that their passion not be confused for disrespect, as both have the utmost respect for each council member.
Shortly after, the vote was made to pass the acceptance of a millage rate of 8.625 mills, with Hendley and Riggs voting against and Mayor McCollar breaking the tie.
OCGA 48-5-32.1 vests the governing authority (i.e. Mayor and Council) with the power to set the millage rate on ad valorem real property taxation in the City of Statesboro. Current Staff recommendation is a millage rate of 9.125. Public hearings were held at noon and 6:00 P.M. on September 26, 2024.
APPROVED - Consideration of a motion to approve an award of contract to Thompson Consulting Services for debris removal monitoring in the amount of, not to exceed, $300,000.00. This is a requirement of FEMA in order to be eligible to receive reimbursement funding. If approved, this will be funded out of the General fund reserves.
Due to the devastation created by Hurricane Helene, we are recommending a contract with Thompson Consulting Services to monitor the debris removal efforts of SDR, LLC. This service is required by FEMA to be eligible for reimbursement funds. Thompson Consulting Services has performed monitoring services all over the Southeast. As with SDR, LLC, they are FEMA approved and have a long history in this field. This contract, if approved, includes monitoring debris removal crews, developing reports to submit to FEMA and other management related functions. Thompson Consulting Services will, at all times, stay in contact with the City of Statesboro’s managing agent to coordinate the debris cleanup effort and the monitoring of SDR, LLC in the ultimate development of FEMA record reports.
City Manager Penny shared information from Lehman Franklin that President Joe Biden has approved national public assistance to pay 100% costs of cleanup efforts in the first 90 days of recovery from the hurricane, starting from September 24. Citizens are urged to work with the city to get debris moved to the right of way for pickup. The federal reimbursement will cover debris removal and emergency services, as well as costs for services like food, water and shelter provided by local governments.
