2017 Budget
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Commission sets millage rate
The annual millage rate and individual annual property assessments determine each property owner’s property tax for County operations. Property tax bills also include school taxes, which are usually the larger portion of the total. For properties within certain cities, the tax bill may also include city taxes for those properties.
The 2017 total County millage rate has been set at 13.51 mills, which reflects a modest increase of 0.334 mills from the 2016 total millage rate 13.176 mills. The net increase results from an increase in the County M&O (General Fund) rate of 0.574 mills and a reduction of 0.24 mills in the millage for bond debt. One mill equals a thousand dollars of assessed value. The increase results in the owner of a $200,000 home paying about $21 more this year than in 2016. This figure will vary from home to home, based on valuation changes and exemptions.
Read more about the 2017 millage rate.Commissioners adopt $1.56 billion budget
Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash said, “The budget upholds Gwinnett’s history of sustainable, conservative budgeting practices while looking ahead at future implications of our decisions. I appreciate the citizen review team members, County staff, and elected offices for their hard work in developing this year’s budget. The primary areas of focus for 2017 are retaining employees, supporting public safety, expanding the judiciary to meet demand, and enhancing community engagement.”
The operating budget totals $1.18 billion, compared to $1.12 billion last year. It includes new positions in the public safety and judicial areas, including staffing for two new 24/7 ambulance units, along with additional staff to improve traffic management, reduce the waiting list for senior homemaking services, and enhance the Board’s community outreach efforts. Workforce retention measures are also contained in the budget.
With the approval of the new six-year SPLOST program, an estimated $950 million is slated for county and city capital improvements in transportation, recreation, civic center expansion, public safety, libraries, and senior services.
Capital improvements funded by SPLOST programs include an $82 million expansion of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, expansions and improvements at multiple County parks, library replacements in Duluth and Norcross, and various road improvements. Construction on the courthouse expansion is slated to begin in the middle of 2017 and should be completed in late 2019. The senior center housed in the Norcross Human Services Center will also be renovated.
Water and sewer user fees will fund upgrades to water and sewer facilities, sewer line inspections using a new acoustic monitoring system to help locate clogs before spills occur, and more public education to keep fats, oils, and grease out of the sewer system.
The adopted budget also includes amendments such as increasing the library system’s budget by $500,000, adding Wi-Fi to a portion of the County’s transit fleet for $270,000, and adding $50,000 to market the Gwinnett County airport.
Six residents and business people volunteered on the Chairman’s budget review committee. They heard presentations and studied departmental business plans, budget needs, and revenue projections before making recommendations for the budget. Commissioners also sought public input by holding a public hearing and accepting comments through the County’s website.
Departmental budget presentations made to the budget review team may be viewed in the on-demand video section of www.tvgwinnett.com under Budget Review Meetings.Check out the following additional resources for more about the 2017 Adopted Budget: