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.... Going up in PTC

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Following news last week that the county’s second largest city, Fayetteville, is expecting to collect about 3 percent more in property taxes in the coming fiscal year, the county’s largest city is following suit with an even bigger increase.

Peachtree City is proposing a 6.04 percent increase in property tax collections for the upcoming 2005-06 budget year, which means homeowners will see higher tax bills before the end of the year.

The resulting property tax increase will net an additional $503,020 in revenues for the city this year, an estimated figure according to Financial Services Director Paul Salvatore.

The city plans to use the same millage rate as last year, meaning a home valued at $150,000 this year will be billed a total of $316.98; a $200,000 home will be billed $422.64, and a $300,000 home will be billed $633.96. The appraised values of individual homes are calculated by the Fayette County Tax Assessors Office.

The “built-in” annual tax increase is due to the upward reassessment of existing property and buildings and the addition of new buildings to the tax rolls.

An estimated 68 percent of the increase is due to reassessed property values, and the remaining 32 percent of the increase is due to new growth, Salvatore said.

Because the city is not planning to roll back taxes to negate the increased property values, it must hold a slate of public hearings on the matter.

Two public hearings will be on Thursday, Aug. 4, one at 7 a.m. and the other at 6:30 p.m. The final hearing will be Friday, Aug. 12 at 7 a.m.

All of the meetings will be at City Hall in Peachtree City and are open to the public.

The city estimates its total revenues will increase by $991,002, Salvatore said. In addition to property taxes, the city collects business taxes, utility franchise fees, court fines and other fees that are included in revenue projections.

Total revenues are expected to increase by 4.18 percent compared to the current year budget.

The city plans to keep its millage rate the same as last year: 5.283 mills. To avoid an effective property tax increase, the city would need to roll that rate back to 5.078 mills.

The proposed budget from staff includes a “surplus carryover” of about $1.7 million to balance the budget from the city’s reserve fund, Salvatore noted. Despite that, the city will still have more than 13 percent of its annual budget tucked away in cash reserves just in case, he added.

Also included in the budget are several new positions, including:

• A full-time systems specialist for the IT (computer support) department, which would bring the total staff to three persons to support all the city’s computers and networks;

• A full-time city engineer position, to handle the growing list of projects that will be added to thanks to the transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and the move towards the storm-water utility and related necessary improvements;

• A full-time children’s specialist and a part time library assistant, both positions which have been planned for to coincide with the opening of the larger library facility in late October; and

• A staff assistant for the planning department which could start out part-time and perhaps become a full-time role. A part-time staffer currently handles those duties and other staff have to rotate to cover the front desk in the planning department.

Staff is also proposing the use of about $2.2 to $2.3 million in additional debt financing for more capital improvements, including a new senior citizens’ building that would be built between the current Gathering Place and amphitheater office building, Salvatore said.

That project is slated to cost $700,000 total, with construction occurring in 2007 if it stays in the budget, Salvatore said. As currently contemplated, all three buildings would be connected by a breezeway, he added.

The proposed capital improvements loan would also include other construction projects including:

• Completion of the Meade softball field parking lot paving

• Paving the parking lot at the Riley Field recreation complex

• A playground near the planned golf cart bridge over Ga. Highway 54 West near Wynnmeade Parkway

• Expansion of the workout and storage spaces at several fire stations and maintenance storage facilities at the Kedron Fieldhouse and the Ga. Highway 74 South Baseball and Soccer Complex.

The city’s street and cart path resurfacing funds will be increased by about $300,000 more in 2006 under the proposed budget, in part due to the increase in revenues from the transportation SPLOST.

A restroom facility is planned for the Picnic Park area, which includes the All Children’s Playground, and will be funded with the $150,000 annual recreation payment the city receives from the county.