The DeKalb County Commission met last Monday, June 24, with the 2024-25 consolidated budget and a $65 million bond resolution as its main focus. At the center of the discussions was a proposed increase to the property tax rate from the current $2 per $100 of assessed value, proposed to $2.61. The 61-cent increase would be the second tax rate hike in as many years, up from $1.7308 to $2 last year.
In the end, there were a few changes made to the budget, with the commission split down the middle over the bond issue and the tax rate, voting 7-7 on each with County Mayor Matt Adcock breaking the tie with a “Yes” vote.
As for the property tax hike, the commission lessened the blow by voting to remove the proposed 10-cent portion of the increase, slated to go to schools ($630,000), and instead allocating $370,000 from the local purpose (sales tax) fund giving schools a total contribution annually of $1,910,000. This brought the tax rate down to $2.51 per $100 of assessed value.
Commissioners voting in favor of removing the 10-cent tax increase and adding the $370,000 in sales tax funding to schools were Glynn Merriman, Mathias Anderson, Andy Pack, Daniel Cripps, Susannah Cripps, Jeff Barnes, Tony (Cully) Culwell, Myron Rhody, Sabrina Farler, Larry Green, Tony Luna, and Tom Chandler. Voting against was Beth Pafford and Greg Matthews abstained.
Commissioners voting in favor of the adjusted 51-cent property tax increase were Jeff Barnes, Andy Pack, Tony (Cully) Culwell, Glynn Merriman, Mathias Anderson, Larry Green, and Tom Chandler. Voting against were Commissioners Daniel Cripps, Susannah Cripps, Sabrina Farler, Greg Matthews, Myron Rhody, Beth Pafford, and Tony Luna. Mayor Matt Adcock would break the tie voting in favor.
The reason for the increase comes down to the planned judicial center needed to replace the aging and inadequate DeKalb County Jail. The rate hike is needed in order to secure up to $65 million of bonds for the project, which has yet found a building site or an approved design. With the rate hike, the commission put forth a bond resolution, not to exceed $65 million to fund the project.
Commissioner Beth Pafford spoke during Monday’s meeting saying, “My oldest (child) will be 60 by the time this is done. My granddaughter will be 31. I’m very concerned over a $65 million bond for 30 years. We don’t have a plan right now, and we don’t even have a plan for the building we’ve adopted, much less a plan for how we’re going to pay to staff it.”
Commissioner Tom Chandler expressed his support for moving forward with the justice center saying, “We have been analyzing and debating this justice center for over a year now. We have in fact sliced and diced the financials in multiple ways. We have looked at every possible combination that we could think of. So, the idea that we (the commission) don’t have a clue is ridicules. The answer for me keeps coming back to a justice center.”
The vote on the bond resolution also was also split down the middle. Commissioners voting in favor were Jeff Barnes, Andy Pack, Tony (Cully) Culwell, Mathias Anderson, Glynn Merriman, Larry Green, and Tom Chandler. Voting against were Commissioners Sabrina Farler, Daniel Cripps, Susannah Cripps, Greg Matthews, Myron Rhody, Beth Pafford, and Tony Luna. Once again, Mayor Adcock broke the tie approving the measure.
Commissioner Pafford then noted that according to terms of the public notice, “the public has 20 days from the date of publication to file with the county clerk a petition signed by at least 10 percent of the registered voters of the county protesting the issuance of the bonds.”
The commission also acted on a resolution for a public referendum to be put on the ballot in the November, asking voters if they would support a $100 wheel tax for debt service to fund construction of a judicial center.
During the meeting, some commissioners expressed concerns over whether a $100 wheel tax would be approved by voters, saying that a $50 wheel tax stood a better chance. Commissioner Tom Chandler made the motion to amend the resolution to a $50 wheel tax, and on a 13-1 vote the amendment was passed. Myron Rhody, Beth Pafford, Larry Green, Tony Luna, Tom Chandler, Andy Pack, Mathias Anderson, Glynn Merriman, Daniel Cripps, Susannah Cripps, Jeff Barnes, Sabrina Farler, and Tony (Cully) Culwell voted yes, while Greg Matthews voted no.
According to Mayor Adcock the revenue raised from the wheel tax will offset the 51-cent tax increase for debt service and bring the property tax hike for debt service next year (2025-26). The 51-cent increase would be in effect throughout 2024-25 fiscal year.
County officials say that with a $50 wheel tax, the burden would be shifted off of property owners and would be distributed more fairly across the county. If approved, commissioners say the property tax rate could then be lowered. They also argue that a wheel tax would generally be cheaper for property owners in the long run, depending on the value of their property.
During the commission’s Meeting of the Whole, held last Thursday evening, County Mayor Adcock attempted to explain the property tax increase and the proposed wheel tax.
“The budget committee talked about offsetting the property tax hike with a proposed wheel tax of $100. For the proposed budget for 2024-25 they put 51 cents in debt service to fund some type of debt for a justice center or jail, whatever the commission decides to build. This wheel tax is supposed to offset those 51 cents.”
Also at the Meeting of the Whole, Commissioner Tom Chandler said construction costs are only likely going to keep rising with further delays, making for even higher tax increases if the commission doesn’t act soon.
“To continue pushing this down the road only increases the price of doing it. We already know that 10 years ago we could have built a school for $16 million, at a third or less than what has been talked about now. Yes, we can push this off for another year, but we had better be expecting that the price next year is going to be higher than it is now,” said Chandler.
Commissioner Andy Pack said that he was once opposed to a judicial center, but now he sees its need. “When I took this seat, at first, I thought you all have lost your minds with a judicial center and new property. I thought there has to be a better way. With the time, and research, we have already done in over a year, we are costing taxpayers money each time we meet,” said Commissioner Pack.
“My approach would be to go ahead and take care of this issue. We have budgeted for it and researched it. I don’t know what else we could hear that would change my mind. Again, I came in here thinking we could put this back on the property we have and make this work, but the numbers don’t lie. We have seen the facts and numbers, and the longer you put this off the more it’s going to cost. Even if we put this off and the economy does come around, how long it that going to take?”
At the Monday meeting, the commission then voted on the consolidated 2024-25 county budget, which also proved to be a hurdle. The measure initially failed with Commissioner Culwell voting no due to his desire to cut funding to some non-profits. “If we are going to raise our county taxpayers’ dollars, we are going to have to show an effort that we are trying to quit spending money in some places,” said Culwell.
Culwell made a motion to remove some non-profit groups from the budget, but the motion failed a second.
A vote on the consolidated county budget then failed with 7-6-1 with Commissioners Jeff Barnes, Daniel Cripps, Tom Chandler, Larry Green, Andy Pack, Mathias Anderson, Glynn Merriman, and Tony Luna voting in favor, while Commissioners Susannah Cripps, Sabrina Farler, Beth Pafford, Tony (Cully) Culwell, and Myron Rhody voted no. Greg Matthews abstained.
Culwell’s motion was then reintroduced with Commissioner Jeff Barnes seconding, seeking a compromise. A vote was held and the measure failed to remove any non-profits from the budget.
Culwell then relented, saying he would change his vote on the consolidated budget, noting that he had tried to make his opinions known. The consolidated budget then passed on an 8-5-1 vote. Voting in favor were Commissioners Jeff Barnes, Daniel Cripps, Tom Chandler, Larry Green, Andy Pack, Mathias Anderson, Glynn Merriman, and Tony Luna. Voting against were Commissioners Susannah Cripps, Sabrina Farler, Beth Pafford, Tony (Cully) Culwell, and Myron Rhody. Greg Matthews abstained.
