Budget change to mean 3.3 tax mill increase

A budget change at final reading has raised the anticipated Oconee County property tax increase to approximately 3.3 mills. David Root, the county attorney, estimated it’ll be necessary for the county auditor to levy an extra 3.3 mills to generate the additional budget money which the council approved 3 to 2 last night at the urging of Edda Cammick, the budget chairwoman, to the apparent surprise of councilmen Paul Cain and Julian Davis, who voted in the minority. Cammick announced that since the last budget committee meeting a week ago, she decided to recommend funding of an additional fire truck along with equipment for the roads and bridges department. The council was told that the addition of 3.3 mills on this year’s bills will add $12.80 to the taxpayer whose home is valued at $100 thousand for tax purposes. Cain and Davis later backed an attempt to raise the anticipated tax mills enough to fund a code enforcement officer and to replace aging county vehicles, but that amendment failed along the same line—two in favor and three against. Cain says the outcome leaves him worried that, at budget time, next year the county will face a capital expenditure shortfall of $800 thousand.