PTC talks about cuts in city budget for this year

Tue, 04/08/2008 - 4:29pm
By: The Citizen

Facing a continued downturn in sales tax collections and nearly stagnant growth in the tax digest, Peachtree City officials are looking at cuts to make in the current 2008 budget, City Finance Director Paul Salvatore told the City Council last week.

Those cuts could be presented to the City Council for a vote at the next regularly scheduled council meeting on April 21, Salvatore noted. The vote would be on actual proposed amendments to the budget, he explained.

The cuts are being developed by finance staff in conjunction with the city’s department heads and chiefs, Salvatore said. In addition to a significantly stunted tax digest this year, the city also is recording a consistent 10 percent decrease in its projections for sales tax revenues, Salvatore said after the meeting.

There is some economic good news for the city though, as the city’s hotel-motel tax revenues are still going strong, he added.

Salvatore also said the city’s eye on increasing fees for various services was not undertaken in response to the economic downturn. Rather, it’s required by city policy to review its fees every several years to keep the city in line with fees charged by other jurisdictions, Salvatore said.

“It’s good prudent financial practice,” Salvatore said.

In developing the fee recommendations, the city has looked at what other cities of similar size are charging for their fees, Salvatore said. Also taken into account was the increasing workload on the city’s developmental services division, which has been performing more and more reviews on plans that are submitted but aren’t finalized, according to City Planner David Rast.

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Mike King's picture
Submitted by Mike King on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 2:33pm.

Mr Salvatore, now that the city's Director Of Finance realizes that a shortfall looms on the horizon, perhaps a bit of serious action is forthcoming. Odds are, however, that the measures implemented will be of little consequence and the following administration will end up having to deal with it.

What about just saying that the mileage rate is going to be raised and be done with it? Silly me, we had a campaign promise not to do this and we've already had one which means that adding another will be detremental to the higher political ambitions of some.

Just to set the record straight, during the last mayoral election was there not a budget surplus? Did we not agree to sell city streets for some half million dollars? Did we not squander nearly $600K on a conceiveably lost cause police building with yet another $780K required before we might be able to use it? Has the golf cart bridge over the RR tracks been connected?

But wait, we had a great time with the Dragon Boat Race, hired a new police chief, paid off a Tennis Center debt, advanced toward completion of a widening of Hwy 74 South, and given a presumptive go ahead for a new Kohls.

My point is that someone needs to look at the long range goals of our city and match them with reasoned priorities. Else we find ouselves living from "paycheck to paycheck" so to speak.

Just my two cents worth.


Spear Road Guy's picture
Submitted by Spear Road Guy on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 2:53pm.

You're dead on right Mike. The "financial genius" (aka Harold Logsdon) completely lied on his intentions.

We’ve gone from Logsdon being a bad mayor to totally incompetent.

You ought to run for the city council again.

Vote Republican


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