Fayetteville budget
approved By DAVE HAMRICK
Staff Writer
Fayetteville's
spending plan for fiscal 2000 is now in place,
including a slight tax reduction.
If
the city's tax digest, a tally of all the taxable
property, has grown at the anticipated 7 percent
over the last year, property taxes will be
reduced by .05 mills from 3.52 mills to 3.47,
saving the owner of a $100,000 home about $2 a
year.
But
officials try to be conservative in their
estimates and are hoping for better than a 7
percent growth, said finance director Lynn Raven.
More than likely when the tax digest comes
in we might be able to lower [taxes] even
more, she said. The county tax
commissioner's office will release those figures
toward the end of 1999.
Tax
bill this year for a $150,000 home will be about
$208, minus any exemptions, said City Councilman
Al Hovey-King as the council prepared to adopt
the budget Monday night. I think that's a
very reasonable amount to pay, he said.
Council's
stated goal is to eliminate property taxes and
run the city on sales taxes, business license
fees and other taxes.
The
budget anticipates $6.9 million in general
operating expenses, up 8.47 percent from fiscal
1999. The budget for water service is $3.3
million; capital projects are projected to cost
$279,400 and the city's impact fee fund budget is
$233,100 a total of $10.7 million.
The
spending plan includes a $55,000 early principle
payment on the city's bonded indebtedness.
In
other action during its regular meeting Monday,
the City Council:
Approved
Brent Scarbrough and Company's low bid of
$50,765.35 to move utilities for a realignment of
the Jimmie Mayfield Boulevard/Ga. Highway 92
intersection. Redesign and lighting for the
intersection have long been on Fayetteville's and
the state Department of Transportation's priority
lists, and the state recently informed the city
that it is ready to begin the work.
The
next lowest bid was almost $6,000 higher.
Approved
a conditional beer and wine license for new owner
Shahnaz Surani for the Texaco Food Mart at 765 N.
Glynn St. The license is conditional pending the
results of routine police investigations.
Appointed
Kathy Erickson of Erickson's Jewelers, on the
Courthouse Square, to the city's Main Street
Board of Directors. I'm really looking
forward to working on the Main Street board and I
think there's a lot of really good things we can
do for the city of Fayetteville, said
Erickson.
The
Main Street Fayetteville organization works to
revitalize the city's downtown area.
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