Politics & Government

Oconee Commissioners Hear, Discuss Budget Concerns

One commissioner suggests raising fees on additional Parks and Recreation activities.

In the first of two public hearings, a lone citizen addressed the to offer a few “constructive” suggestions Tuesday.

After a brief presentation of the FY 2012 budget by Financial Director , the floor was opened to the public and was taken swiftly by Mike Power, who initially commended commissioners for their work on the budget thus far.

However, Power’s tone then shifted to criticism as he began to make suggestions to the board about their proposed budget plan.

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Power, owner of in Bogart, said that certain areas of Oconee government should be consolidated and that economic development should be a number one priority for Oconee’s budget plans.

“I don’t see why two departments like ‘planning’ and ‘long-range planning’ couldn’t operate behind the same office doors,” he said. “We are in a prolonged economic recession and the engine driving the economy here is sputtering.”

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He said the Board should call on business owners and professionals to volunteer time and effort towards economic development.

“We have a sign that for a Gateway Business Park, but how do you even get into it?” Power asked the Board. “We don’t have a business park, and without one that is ready to build on, businesses will not want to come here.”

Other concerns mentioned by Power were issues like strict “anti-business” requirements and regulations, unused county office space and the large amount of expenditures for the Parks and Recreation Department.

“The Parks and Recreation Department has grown to a level in the budget that is almost the same as our public utilities,” he said. “It is not the government’s job to entertain. People should be paying more fees for those activities.” 

Commissioner John Daniell said the main items of concern about the budget were to start spending less on Parks and Recreation and to there so the county is not paying so much for those activities.

“When the amount spent on the parks department is right under what is spent on roads, we need to start dwindling that subsidy down,” Daniell said. “Some programs were not touched as far as fee increases, and that is something we need to look at. The people that participate in these programs do a great job, we just aren’t charging them enough to do it.”

Other budget items discussed by the Board of Commissioners were:

  • Increasing water and utility fees for residents with water meters. Commissioner Jim Luke suggested that more specific payment tiers be made for residents who don’t use as much water.
  • Possibly closing the Bishop Center and The William Daniell House, a historical site. Benko said the best bet would be to get a grant from a historic organization to cover the expensive costs of maintaining the house.
  • Reducing hours at the after a $47,000 reduction in its budget.

A second public hearing on the budget will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21, before commissioners consider its adoption at a 7 p.m. meeting.


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