Commissioners to See 2012 Budget

The  will get a first look at the 2012 budget during a work session Tuesday afternoon. 

Chairman Tim Lee said Friday that the county's 2012 budget will be about $8 million less than the $317 million 2011 budget, the Marietta Daily Journal is reporting.

Lee also told the MDJ he does not expect any layoffs or furloughs of the county's 4,200 employees in the new budget year. Since May 1, county employees have been forced to take five unpaid days off to help balance the current year's budget.

Commissioners voted 3-2 last month to raise property taxes to make up a possible $33 million deficit in the 2012 fiscal year.

Commissioners Bob Ott and JoAnn Birrell voted against the proposal.

The county raised the rate from a total of 9.6 mills to 11.11 mills for the year that ends Sept. 30. Tax bills went out in mid-August.

On a $140,000 to $160,000 house, the increase averages $82.67 more per year. On a $190,000 to $210,000 home, the increase averages $111.66 per year.

At the board's regularly scheduled 7 p.m. meeting, commissioners are expected to award the $1.8 million "Alternatives Analysis" light-rail study to Croy Engineering as the project manager.

The study will examine what kinds of mass transportation will work on the Interstate 75 and U.S. 41 corridors, how much it will cost and where it should be built.

Cobb Transportation Director Faye DiMassimo said she expects the study will be done in 18 months. But that will be after voters in Cobb and other metro Atlanta counties vote on whether to pay a 1 percent sales tax for 10 years to finance transportation improvements.

The TSPLOST project list includes plans for a light-rail line from the Cumberland Mall area to MARTA's Arts Center Station.

Also, commissioners are expected to transfer $80,320 in contingency funds to the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration to cover the cost of the Sept. 20 special election to fill the state House seat left vacant in Northeast and East Cobb when Republican Bobby Franklin died.

Five Republicans qualified for the election last week.