Statesboro proposes $1.7M budget to come from property tax or reserve

STATESBORO, Ga. (WSAV) — The city of Statesboro is finalizing next year’s budget.

The city’s proposed $53-million budget requires $1.7 million more to make it happen. City manager Charles Penny says the best option is raising the millage rate by one point.

“We’re very conscious that people don’t like to see increased cost so that’s why we try to minimize rate increases or tax increases,” said Penny.

The proposed budget doesn’t include any major changes. Penny tells News 3 that they’re mostly trying to maintain the operations they already had, factoring in pay increases for city employees added in January and an increased city fire fund.

“some people will say you need to cut some stuff,” said Penny. “The only way to cut this budget would mean cutting personnel, and if we cut personnel then the services that citizens currently enjoy would also be impacted.”

Raising the millage by one point would bring property taxes up. Using the City’s example, if your home costs $200,0000, your taxes would go up $78 next year. The other option would be to take the money out of the fund balance, which the council likes to save for a rainy day.

“If we had a hurricane that tore up our city we’d need to have cashflow so we could put our city back together until we get a federal designation that can give us some funds,” said Penny.

If it’s what the council decides, the millage rate won’t go up until September.

The City has to wait for the current tax digest to come out.

The budget is up for a public hearing on June 3.