Friday, December 22, 2000
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Friday, December 22, 2000 |
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Sheriff accuses county of fuzzy math By JOHN THOMPSON Sheriff Mike Yeager made it quite clear Tuesday how he felt about the budget proposed for his department by the county's staff. "My first inclination is to walk out the door," said a visibly upset Yeager. During Tuesday's budget hearing during the Coweta County Commission meeting, the staff recommended a $10 million budget, which is an 8.9 percent increase over last year. But the sheriff took issue with the fact that county officials had lumped in $1.2 million of jail debt service into his budget. "It's fuzzy math," he said. Yeager was upset that the county cut his request for 19 cars to 12 cars. "These are just replacement cars for vehicles that have 100,000 to 250,000 miles on them," he said. The sheriff has asked for 19 employees, but staff recommended only four new hires. "How do they know when they've never been out to my department?" he said. Yeager pointed out that for the last eight years his department has come in under budget. With the growth that has occurred in the county, Yeager said he's not being able to provide the services needed. Instead of lowering the property tax rate every year by a small amount, Yeager suggested leaving the millage intact to get a few more dollars. Commissioner Robert Wood said the county is going to have to take a serious look at the services it provides. "I'm not opposed to raising taxes to run this county," he said. County Administrator Theron Gay said the county had received $3 million in budget requests that it was not able to fund this year. If the county had granted the requests, the property tax would have to be increased by at least two mills, he said. The county will vote on the final budget in January.
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