Roswell Approves $57.1 Million Budget

It was a contentious Roswell City Council meeting last night that seemed clearly divided between the mayor, a councilwoman and the remaining five council members.

However, once the dust finally settled and the heated debates cooled, the city’s governing body voted to approve the 2012 general fund budget with the amendment to keep the current millage rate at 5.45 instead of rolling it back as originally proposed; effectively adding $500,000 back into the general fund toward road resurfacing and recreation participatory fee subsidies.

The city’s amended operating budget of $57,176,339 was approved by five of the six voting members of council, with Councilwoman Betty Price abstaining.

“I do not support this millage rate. I think the city can afford to give our tax payers a break,” said Mayor Jere Wood, in a sentiment that was echoed by Price.

Councilman Jerry Orlans explained his reasoning for not supporting a millage roll back to a member of the audience who asked for clarification, saying that by doing so the city would be unable to handle the 20-year road resurfacing cycle it is currently on, which necessitates $2 million per year just to keep up. Pulling funds from both the newly acquired non-roll back funds and reserves, Orlans motion to approve the budget included $668,000 toward road resurfacing.

“We still need to make up the rest of the money to get to the level [required for regular maintenance],” he said.

Prior to the approval, the council went back and forth on whether or not the city should continue its long tradition of funding large subsidies for recreation participatory fees. In the end the council did add the $179,000 previously deleted back into the budget at the urging of citizens who spoke during the meeting. The $658,445 in total subsidies will continue to help keep down the cost to recreation program users. Without that money the city would have to pass the entire cost of participating in its programs onto citizens through fee rate hikes.

“If you increase the fees you’re basically asking some of the programs to go away. It’s just to costly for participants,” said Liz McFarland, president of the Roswell Youth Lacrosse Association. “Please do not increase the fees.”

It took over three hours just to get through the first vote on the general fund budget and it wasn’t without its own drama. Digging deep into the minutia of legalities revolving around proper order, the meeting dissolved into a heated debate between Orlans and Wood that exploded with a comment by Councilman Kent Igleheart causing Wood to slam his gavel and call for a 10-minute recess at 10 p.m., before any vote was actually taken.

Once the meeting resumed the division remained, generating the 5-0 vote, with Price’s abstention. 

The millage rate received a 5-1 vote to keep it at 5.45, where it has been during 2011. Price, proponent of a roll back, opposed keeping it the same.

The council moved on to approve a $6.2 million capital fund budget most citizens had not seen prior. The budget, which includes a dump truck, municipal landscaping and a multi-use path design for Eves Road among a lengthy list of other funded items, was approved 5-1, with Price opposing. Funding of the budget will take the city’s $12.8 million above-policy reserves down to $6.6 million.

Finally, a unanimous council approved spending $1.5 million in impact fees on a new or relocated fire station in East Roswell.

In total, the all funds budget came out to $115,857,270.