Houston commissioners say no to tax increase

The Houston County Commission committed to not raising property taxes Tuesday despite projections that revenues will drop slightly.

Commission Chairman Tommy Stalnaker said revenues for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1, are projected at $53.7 million. That’s about $270,000 less than the county expects to collect this year.

“In the last five years I think this is probably the toughest budget year we have been confronted (with),” Stalnaker said.

After discussing the situation and expressing his own desire to keep the millage rate at 9.95 mills, Stalnaker asked each commissioner to weigh in. All gave strong support for holding the tax rate steady.

“I think the taxpayers are in the same situation we are,” Commissioner Jay Walker said.

Stalnaker presented each commissioner with the proposed budget that reflects each department’s request, and that amount is $2.1 million more than projected revenues.

Stalnaker said that amount is better than he was expecting, and department heads were conservative in their requests. He said the budget will be balanced in advance of a public budget hearing June 21.

Stalnaker said the budget will include no new employee positions. He said there is a need for new positions, but the county can’t do it without raising taxes.

“I have not had one taxpayer come to me and say, ‘I want you to raise my taxes so you can hire additional people,’ ” Stalnaker said.

The tax digest, which determines how much revenue each mill of taxes will generate, is expected to grow by 1.25 percent. But Stalnaker said overall revenues are projected to drop due to revaluations, tax penalty law changes and other factors.

He said the county wants to put a raise for employees in the budget, but he did not discuss Tuesday how much that might be.

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 7:53 PM.