Proposing a tax hike isn't unusual in Warner Robins. Will it actually happen now?

Warner Robins City Council has held off from raising property taxes during Mayor Randy Toms four years as mayor.

But will the city's property owners see their millage rate go up this year? Warner Robin City Council have begun examining the proposed fiscal 2019 budget which has a 2.5 millage rate bump.

The biggest change in spending in the proposed fiscal 2019 budget is with capital projects. The budgeted amount is $37 million compared to $21 million in the current year.

That increase includes millions of dollars for recreation, as city officials seek to beef up its recreational offerings which some leaders say have been neglected for decades.

Some of the capital projects will be paid for with special purpose local option sales tax revenue.

Toms said the city is in need of more revenue, but he's unsure at this time if they'll be able to make enough changes to prevent some type of tax increase.

Last year, council members mulled over a 1-mill increase. before voting 3-2 in favor of the proposed budget that did not include a tax hike.

The current Warner Robins tax rate is 9.99 mills.

"Every single year the CFO, no matter who it's been, has suggested raising the millage rate and every year ... I have yet to raise the millage rate," Toms said.

On Friday, Toms said he's unsure if this is the year a millage rate jump will happen, but if there is one he would prefer most of the revenue go to the police department.

"Accountants by nature, estimate low on the revenue, whereas I'm a little more optimistic," he said. "I think we've been lagging behind in our revenue generation, but I don't know when the growth we're seeing in Warner Robins is going to catch up and we’re going to start seeing that growth in revenue."

The proposed $39.7 million general fund budget is about $2 million lower than the current fiscal budget. And the separate enterprise funds and special funds are slightly lower in this proposed budget.

The budget process has changed this year after City Council members asked for more input.

The City Council will make recommendations for the budget and present it to the mayor in early June. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

"We’ve got to go over (the budget) with fine-tooth comb to find out where the money is going and coming from," City Councilwoman Carolyn Robbins said.

The current budget also includes the implementation of a salary scale, of which $1.6 million was paid for from the reserve fund. That's another cost the city will have to absorb in fiscal 2019.

Having to dip into the reserve fund is why some council members said they wanted a 1-mill increase last year.

"We knew that was going to be a big hurdle to cross. We also knew that if we didn't put it in place we would be in trouble," Toms said. "We hope in the long-term it helps us with retention."

This story was originally published May 26, 2018 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Proposing a tax hike isn't unusual in Warner Robins. Will it actually happen now?."