Cobb Board of Commissioners Chairman Tim Lee (MDJ/File)
Commissioners also took steps to reduce the property tax rate by 0.2 mills and kill a proposed January water rate fee increase.
Commissioners approved the across-the-board, 3 percent pay hike, which amounts to $4.5 million, in a 4-1 vote with Bob Ott opposed. The money comes from the county’s medical and dental account.
Ott argued the money should be given in the form of a one-time bonus rather than a pay raise that the county is obligated to maintain.
“We don’t know what funds will be available in the future,” Ott said. “Yes, there are some economic indicators that show recovery. However, in light of upcoming changes to the tax laws and health care, the county needs to ensure those indicators remain strong before committing to a permanent change in the salary structure.”
Lee said he had been assured by “leading economists” that such a pay raise was sustainable.
“They don’t believe that it will have any effect on the Cobb County operations and our ability to meet our projections,” Lee said. “It is my belief that we have a sustainable budget for the next five years to be able to absorb this as part of the operating (budget). Moreover, though, I will make a commitment that if we get to the end of the fiscal period and there’s issues concerning the FY14 budget that perhaps makes it difficult to keep it funded, I will make the necessary cuts, and I will make the necessary reductions in services and positions to enable us to continue to move forward without any kind of revenue enhancement.”
Lee said the raise would be funded for fiscal year 2013 out of the medical and dental fund and then as part of the county’s operating budget after that.
In separate action, commissioners voted 5-0 to allocate about $18 million left over from fiscal year 2012.
“You’ve got to recognize this is for the FY12 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30 of this year, so here we are in December having gotten our final reports in terms of what happened budgetarily,” Lee said. “This budget was presented to the Board of Commissioners for approval in September of 2011.”
Lee said the county received unexpected revenue while it maintained expenses at a stronger level than anticipated.
The $18 million will go to pay for needed capital improvements, Lee said.
“This is a surplus that did not happen because of millage rates or anything to that nature,” Lee said. “In fact, we’re rolling back the millage 0.2 mills because that is sustainable. And a five-year plan we put together calls for 0.2 millage reduction this year, next year, the year after that, the year after that, and 0.1 in the fifth year rolled back to a 0.9 mill increase we had to go through in 2011. If things improve better than we had projected, we’ll accelerate that reduction.”
A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
The $18 million will be divided up this way: reduce the property tax rate by 0.2 mills for fiscal 2013 ($4.7 million); upgrade technology infrastructure in courts ($3.2 million); pay off debt for Powder Springs Station ($2.8 million); contingency planning ($2.7 million); accountable and capital equipment ($1.5 million); update police fleet ($1 million); replacement tower for McCollum airport ($1.3 million); storage of archeological items found during county construction ($62,000); solid waste post-closure study of landfills ($50,000) and solid waste methane gas issue at closed landfills ($250,000).
Commissioners also changed the annual water system transfer to avoid forcing a rate hike on residents.
“We are reducing the amount of the transfer from the water system by $3.4 million to enable the water system to absorb the projected water rate increases that were proposed earlier this month, meaning that no water rate increases will occur in January as a result of the strength of this year’s digest,” Lee said.
Follow us on Twitter!
I hope my children's children get a raise becasue if I could afford it, I would pay them myself
The worst is daylight savings time, the 13th hour when the clocks were turned back at 2 am, especially since we were on the move the entire time.
You rarely hear about nurse's complaints about their hours, wages or working conditions because they go into the profession knowing about the down side. Yes, we also work evenings instead of attending evening events and do continuing education. There are many more changes in medicine than in teaching to keep up with.
Like any employee all you deserve is what you was offer at the time of employment and what your employer, the citizens of Cobb County can afford. Many county what to tell us the employers what we can afford. After all my house is only worth $60K less than five years ago. So of course you think I should pay more. If you did the smart thing by staying then stop telling us what we must give you.
I am glad to see the county employees get a much needed and deserved raise; but honestly, the surplus should be sent back to where it came from...the water department.
This seems to put the county employees at more risk since the raise may or may not be sustainable.
Just remember that Lee said that he would make the hard decisions if they are called for in the future.
Hopefully that won't be necessary, because I have little faith in tim Lee's decision making abilites.
Chairman Lee should have listened to this economic forecast before making this comment: "Lee said he had been assured by “leading economists” that such a pay raise was sustainable."
In this republic, you're free to choose with your ballot or vote with your feet; nobody's keeping you here. If you don't care to have any of the amenities or services provided in this area (or, more likely, just don't want to pay for them), move to a hole in the ice in the Antarctic or go to Clayton county. Either way, we won't miss you.
leChat has no idea.
Yes sir master, thank you for letting me pick your cotton and for providing me with bread and water. And thank you for those beatings that I needed to make me a better employee. You must have been very disappointed that the world did not end the day after President Obama's reelection as was predicted by all of your Tea Party "Clan." I would gladly give you back your 3 percent if you would go away.
On another note, I work hard for my money and it's not a government handout. We don't rob you of your taxes, we fix your roads, operate your parks that the kids play in, protect you from violence, provide medical help when you are in need and countless other services. I now work two jobs so that I could continue to feed my family, so I'm not sure who thinks the employees are getting fat off the tax payers money. Walk a mile in our shoes.........
You and 'just saying' need to get your facts right before you go and make negative baseless accusations. Maybe you don't agree with Ott but why not make sure you have your facts correct before you blog. If you look back in the MDJ you will see he has been giving up 5% of his 42K commissioner pay for almost his entire first term.
@4 to 1
The people in district 2 reelected Ott and he has the same information as your gang of four, he just didn't agree with them. Same information different opinion, where do you get off deciding who is right or wrong since you DON'T have that information
Did you know that 42K he makes is 2k higher than a 6 year firefighter for cobb county? Did you kow that same firefighter is on shift 120 hours every two weeks while Mr. Ott is part time? Did you know commisioners are the only part time employees allowed to receive health insurance and retirement benefits? I don't feel very sorry for someone thats part time making over 40K per year that will receive a BETTER pension than a full-time firefighter or police officer.