BRUNSWICK, Ga. – The proposed 2018 budget being considered by the Glynn County Commission incudes an increase of more than 16 percent from the 2017 budget.
The proposed budget of $135 million calls for two mil increases to property taxes, which would bring property taxes to 7.673 mils.
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According to the outlined budget posted on the Glynn County government website, the assessed value in Glynn County dropped by $1.5 billion between 2009 and 2013.
In accordance with the Scarlett-Williams legislation, when the value of an owner occupied house drops, so do the property taxes. As long as the same owner lives in the house, the taxes remain the same even though the value of the house may increase.
Glynn County leaders also project that in the 2016 tax year, 62.7 percent of all residential property owners paid less in county property taxes than they did in 2009, yet they receive the same or greater services from Glynn County.
READ THE FULL PROPOSAL: 2018 Glynn County budget proposal
They also contended that with the additional millage, the tax rate for county government will still be less than any other county in southeast Georgia and will remain one of the lowest tax rates in Georgia.
To give residents an idea of how the additional 2 mils will impact them:
- If a home is valued at $100,000, the extra mils would equate $80 or $6.67 per month.
- If a home is valued at $200,000, the extra mils would equate to $200 or $16.67 per month
- If a home is valued at $500,000, the extra mils would equate to $400 or $33.33 per month
Also big in the proposed budget is public safety. It makes up $30,860,610 of the General Fund.
A total of 73 new positions were requested by county departments. Of the number requested, 18 full-time
positions and 2 part-time positions are being recommended. 6 of the requested 20 positions are new police officers.
The proposed budget also has room for public safety officer pay adjustment. In response to turnover rates in public safety positions and the State of Georgia’s pay increase of 20 percent for all public safety officers, the proposed budget includes a pay adjustment of 10 percent for public safety officers.
Of the public safety positions affected by 10 percent pay increases, 13 are within the fire department, 11 are within the fire department and 11 are within the sheriff's office.
Due to turnover in public safety positions, overtime pay has increased over the last three years. The proposed budget reflects an additional amount of $548,283 across public safety budgets for overtime pay.
The Glynn County Commission has until June 30, 2017 to approve a budget.
The commission will hold a special meeting to discuss and review the proposed budget at 2 p.m. on May 11 at the Harold Pate Courthouse Annex at 1725 Reynolds Street in Brunswick.