Interested taxpayers need to circle Jan. 5 on their calendar.

When the Coweta County Board of Commissioners convenes for its first meeting of the new year, one of the first items under discussion will be the proposed budget for fiscal year 1999.

The $25.6 million budget is slightly under $1 million more than last year's budget and does not call for a tax hike. But the county's explosive growth rate is causing the budget to come under scrutiny and some citizens are even advocating using reserve funds or asking for a tax hike to make sure the county's level of services is maintained.

During this year's budget conversations, the commissioners, especially Vernon "Mutt" Hunter, have been vociferous in maintaining that taxes will not be raised to maintain ordinary county services. But at the last budget discussion, Sheriff Mike Yeager asked the commission to consider an $800,000 request to fund a vehicle take-home program to try to keep the county's officers from using the county as a training ground and moving to another county.

See BUDGET, Page 2A

Yeager also asked the county for an additional 15 employees to try to keep up with the growth rate. While stopping short of calling for a tax increase, Yeager asked the commission to consider using the county's $18 million reserve fund to help his needs.

In addition to the sheriff's needs, the county also received requests for 16 other positions in general fund categories, six in the fire department, three in the emergency management operations area and two in the water and sewer department.

If all the personnel needs were funded, nearly $1.5 million in additional funds would be needed. The personnel needs translate into raising the tax rate by one mill, which the county staff was dead set against. To cover some of the personnel needs, the county budgeted overtime in several departments to try to temporarily solve the problem.