Centerville officials stay steady on millage rate, study funding for city park

The city’s millage rate will likely remain as it has been since 2013.

City accountant Carol Harrison told council members Tuesday new Houston County tax digest figures confirm they can keep the old rate if they choose to.

Harrison said county tax digest and millage rate rollback figures actually allow for a minimal rate increase, but an increase only to 11.976 from where officials have kept it since 2013: 11.972.

She said the slight increase would only mean $740 in added revenue.

Mayor John Harley and council members indicate they plan to stick with the current rate when they vote to set millage Sept. 19.

In other matters Tuesday, city department heads were asked to look at their current financial situations and review five year plans before the council makes decisions on how the city will pay for the planned Center Park at Centerville.

Harley said he and the council want to make sure “all the bases are covered” and city business is taken care of before making park funding decisions.

“We absolutely need to move ahead with the park and encourage other development to enhance our viability and future,” he said. “The sooner we do it, the better it will be for us, but we need to do it carefully and make sure we’re making good decisions for everyone.”

As far as funding the park, Harley said options are being looked at, including the money set aside in a special purpose local option sales tax and at a possible city bond referendum.

But he said any such funding won’t be available until late 2018.

Kate Hogan, Centerville’s director of marketing and economic development who leads park development efforts, said the city’s public works department and local volunteers will clean up and do light site preparation beginning in November after the last scheduled park event in late October, but that serious work won’t happen or money be available for it until November 2018.

Hogan said $800,000 set aside in coming SPLOST funds will complete Phase 1 of the park.

She said the council has created a committee comprised of herself, Harley, Harrison, Councilman Ed Armijo and several department heads to look at options a suggest future plans.

This story was originally published August 2, 2017 at 4:39 PM with the headline "Centerville officials stay steady on millage rate, study funding for city park."