The proposed Cobb County government budget of $1.27 billion for fiscal year 2025 won’t be raising any property tax rates.
But it won’t be scaling them back, so due to rising property assessments, that constitutes a tax increase according to state law.
Following a budget presentation Tuesday afternoon at a the Cobb Board of Commissioners work session, the county announced the proposed increase, and laid out the schedule for budget and millage rate hearings in July.
The budget includes a $41.3 million increase in the general fund, mostly due to recurring expenses pertaining to raises in the step-and-grade salary structures for public safety personnel.
That represents two-thirds of that additional general fund revenue, which stems from an estimated net Cobb tax digest growth of around 6 percent.
That’s down from 2023, when the tax digest grew by more than 12 percent.
The current adopted FY 2024 general budget is $898 million, and is proposed to rise to $961 million, holding the line at 8.46 mills.
(You can read the details of the budget presentation by clicking here.)
The property tax revenues in the proposed budget are a 9 percent increase from fiscal year 2024.
The overall proposed budget includes $63.7 million in new spending, with an additional $14.7 million for the fire fund, with a proposed millage rate to remain the same at 2.99 mills.
Only five new positions would be created in the FY 2025 budget, whittled down from 382 requests for new jobs from department heads.
Also in the proposed budget is a reduction in the amount of Cobb Water System revenues to the general fund, from six percent to five percent.
Commissioners didn’t discuss the budget proposal at the work session, except to ask a few questions.
Last year, citizens pleaded with commissioners to roll back the millage rage to offset higher property assessments, citing inflation and other rising daily living expenses.
But the 3-2 vote to adopt the budget without tax rate cuts was along partisan lines, with the Democratic majority saying the additional revenues are needed to address chronic county government staffing shortages.
At a commission meeting Tuesday night, some citizens protested the FY 2025 proposed budget for similar reasons as a year ago.
“Citizens in the county are running out of money,” Marietta resident Tracy Stevenson said. “I hear it from a lot of people all the time. Nobody’s happy about it.”
He referenced a proposed stormwater fee and a transit tax referendum in November as potential additional burdens on taxpayers.
“There is no end to it—the bloodlust for the taxpaying dollar is phenomenal.”
Formal public hearings on the proposed FY 2025 budget will take place July 9 at 9 a.m., July 16 at 6:30 p.m. and July 23 at 7 p.m.
Adoption of the budget and the proposed millage rates is scheduled for July 23 at 7 p.m.
Related:
- Cobb approves $7M Lower Roswell Road project
- Cobb voters to decide transit sales tax in November referendum
- East Piedmont Road lane closures in effect due to sewer repairs
- Cobb adopts new policy for traffic-calming in neighborhoods
- Cobb approves ridership survey for transit tax referendum
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