Flowery Branch council discusses tax rate

FLOWERY BRANCH - It looks like the Flowery Branch tax rate will remain the same, despite one councilman's attempt to have it lowered.

Chris Fetterman suggested lowering the current rate of 2.837 mills to 2.637 mills during a city council work session Wednesday morning.

"I am a pro-low tax, anti-tax kind of person," Fetterman said. "My theory is if you can roll it back in increments through the years, you might be able to keep it down."

The city's millage rate hasn't changed in the past three years, and residents won't see a tax increase. City Clerk Melissa McCain said if the city did give a rollback it would be .002 percent, or about $16,000.

However, McCain said they aren't planning to roll back the property tax because the city needs the funds to help compensate for extra expenses brought on by the economy.

"The city has chosen not to roll that back and use those funds towards expenses for the increase in gas, maintenance and operating costs," she said. "We have increased residents and businesses, which require increased services, so those moneys can go to help offset those costs."

Councilman Allen Bryans said the police department has a lot more area to cover, and that several roads in the city are in need of repair.

"I think we ought to leave it (tax rate) just like it is," he said. "This way you're not increasing the tax on people."

During a voting session following the work session, the council voted 3-2 on first reading, with councilmen Chris Fetterman and Craig Lutz opposing, to approve the 2008 millage rate of 2.837.

A second public hearing on the millage rate will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 11. The final public hearing, as well as a second reading on the ordinance, will be on Sept. 17 at 9:30 a.m.