Cherokee Commission Adopts FY 2013 Budget

Cherokee County Commissioners unanimously approved its fiscal year 2013 budget on Tuesday.

The budget is set at $189.5 million, which is slightly lower than the county's annualized 2012 budget of $189.9 million. The original fiscal year 2013 budget came in at $193 million, but the county slashed $4 million from the budget before its final adoption.

Items delayed until 2014 include allocating local dollars for the new library in the Macedonia community in east Cherokee and postponing several road projects. 

Chief Financial Officer Janelle Funk told the commissioners that when the county factors in its reimbursements from the Georgia Department of Transportation and Northside Hospital for the construction of the Commerce Boulevard extension, its net total spending will come in at $182.9 million, which she said is almost $7 million less when compared to the previous year's budget.

Funk also noted the county has cut its general fund spending by $4.4 million between fiscal year 2008 and fiscal year 2013.

The county's proposed budget is based upon a millage rate of 9.99. Broken down, that's 5.825 for the general fund, 3.394 for the fire fund and .780 for the parks bond. The rate was raised to the current level in July, which is deemed revenue neutral for the county. 

A home valued at about $165,000 with the standard $5,000 exemption would pay about $590 in county property taxes. Most residents saw no property tax increase as most properties either declined in value or saw its value remain the same.