---
date: 2023-07-27
title: 07-27-2023 Minutes
source: 2023-07/2023-07-27_07-27-2023 _Minutes.pdf
pages: 1
---

Stockbrldge
Where Community Connects

SPEC AL CALLED MEET NG
SU MM ARY MI NUTES

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2023 9:00 AM.
M3 o r & Ci Council Administration
Mayor Anthony 5. F 0rd Frederick Gardiner: Cit Manager
Mayor Pro Yoland a Barber Vanessa Holiday, City lerk
Councr Iman Elton Alexander John Wig ins, City Treasurer
Councilman Thomas Quinton ashington, City Attorney
Councilmanlo n Blount Jeremy T. Berry, City Attorney
Councilwoman LaKeisha Gantt

Mission: To providelvlision ar l eadership and sup erior mun icipal services that enhance the
quality of I lie for Citizens .w l le creating _a welco mgng busr ness atmosph ere focused on
sustainabll Ity a nd expans ton of to mm and cultu ral event s.

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Ford.

Invocation by Councilman Alexander.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all in attendance.

All members were present except Councilman Blount.

Councilwoman Gantt made a motion to approve the Agenda; seconded by Councilman
Alexander. The motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Gardiner gave an overview presentation of the Financials and the Setting of a
Millage Rate Proposal; noted the growth of the City from the Census in 2021 and the
increase in population and the major impact of services to Public Works, the Police
Department, and the FY2024 Budget; noted the startup of the police department in 2022
was with 52 officers based on the population at the time of 29,000, and the
additional 10 officers added via a grant would be transferred to the budget after 3
years; presented Millage Rate options; noted the annexed 6,700 new residents, 91 miles
of new roadways to service, and over 1900 units approved for development that are
under construction with an estimated population of 41 ,000 by 2030; noted the
projected
29% increase of public safety call, presented a comparison of similar sized populations
with police departments including the millage rates and annual budgets, and number of
officers; gave a preliminary FY2024 General Fund Budget at a glance with 6 options of
proposed millage rates of 0.00, 1.904,3.77, 4, 4.215 and 6 (noting the 1.904 is already
included); reviewed the 4-year Fund Balance Review; presented a Stockbridge Property
tax Analysis referencing average homes at their assessed values and
incorporating the
proposed 6 millage rates options; reviewed how the current Henry County Millage Rate is
distributed; reviewed the proposed funding forthe City of Stockbridge with General
Government at 32% of the Budget; 16% Debt Service; 32% Public Safety and 21% Public

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Works; noted there would be a shortfall if the millage is approved at 3.77 or 4.0, and
recommended 4.215, noting that while 6 mils was advertised, that is not
recommendation.

Mr. Wall, the Financial Advisor, referenced the fund balance for 2018, 2019,
2020, 2021 and 2022 noting a drop for each of the years, and having eight months of
reserve, and stated the city cannot continue to spend fund balance and recommends
setting the millage at 4.215; noted 1.904 is already levied for everyone in the county for
police services; noted the Tax Digest is $1.8 billion dollars; and noted the
advertisement of 6mils means the City cannot levy a tax higher than that number, but can
levy anything under that number.; compared the mils of Hampton at 4.5 mils, McDonough
at 3.033 Mils and Henry County at 10.511 mils; noted the School Board is levying 60% of
the taxes on the property tax bill and the County is levying 37% and the Water
Authority is
levying 2%; gave an example of the monthly tax to be assessed on a $100,000 home in
the City of Stockbridge based on 4.215 mils to be $14/per month; referenced the
presentation of the Tax Distribution by Entity and Tax Funding by City Function.

Mr. Harris, Henry County Tax Commissioner, noted Public Hearing is the 3rd of
the required three public hearings; noted the Board of Commissioners will finalize the

millage rate at their meeting on Tuesday and then submit to the State; reviewed
the process on how the millage is calculated: Fair Market Value (FMV) completed by the
Tax Assessors Office, the Assessed Value which equals 40%, less Exemptions, times the
adopted millage rate; noted Henry County has a special exemption for the County portion
where the taxes are calculated on the rate when the homeowner purchased the home
and is frozen at the rate as long as there is a Homestead Exemption in place,
noting it
does not apply to renters or corporations; and noted the savings to homeowners is
approximately $32 million dollars; and reviewed the exemptions that can be applied as
the homeowner ages at age 62, 65, 68 and 70 for the School Board portion; noted the
County is still considering what its millage rate will be and that the McDonough and
Hampton have adopted their millage, noting Locust Grove did not; referenced the timeline
to get information from the cities and county to submit to the State and
generate the bills
to homeowners by September 1, noting the property tax, if levied, will appear on the
property tax bill as City Tax; noted there is good news to report as well, noting the State
of Georgia had a financial windfall and as a result, the Governor has signed a bill for
Homestead Tax Relief Grant whereas homeowners will receive a minimum of $500 credit
on the tax bill, noting it is only for those homeowners who
currently have a homestand
exemption for their property.

Mr. Wall noted the City must adopt a millage rate today for the Tax Office
to meet their deadlines.

Mr. Harris noted that if a millage is not adopted today, there would not be enough time to
advertise and meet the requirements to be placed on the Property Tax Statement.

PUBLIC EARING
Proposed Millage Rate Property Tax Increase

Mayor Ford opened the Public Hearing

Speakers in Favor: No Speakers

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Speakers Opposed:
Ms. Lisa Green; Ms. Pamela Burrell and Ms. Sunny Randazzo

Public Hearing Closed

Councilman Alexander noted he attended the last meeting noting the School
Board assess 60% of the taxes that is on your Property Tax Statement, and they are
proposing a $44 million dollar increase; and noted senior citizens are exempt from the
school board taxes if they are age 70 on January 1.
Mayor Pro Tem Barber asked if City of Stockbridge residents would have a Homestead
Exemption?

Mr. Harris noted the City would have to decide which Exemptions to put in place.

Mr. Wall noted the City would need to go to the State Legislature Representative, Senator
Jones, and have the Exemption Referendum placed on the 2024 Ballot to go into effect
January 1, 2025; noting the City of Hampton made the request for their Exemption to
match the Frozen Exemption that the County has in place.

Mayor Pro Tem Barber requested the City move forward with the Exemptions for
homeowners on septic, senior citizen exemptions, and other exemptions currently being
allowed in the County, and asked what the millage tax would be used for, if approved.

Mr. Gardiner noted the City has inherited 91 miles or road, and 34 miles of sidewalks that
were neglected by the County and now the City of Stockbridge must maintain, 6,700
annexed residents, plus several developments of more than 2,300 units that will come
online in the next year or so; noted the wear and tear of the roads is happening more
frequently as a result of GPS service that directs traffic from the interstate to the
surface streets such as Speer Rd., Walt Stephens and Flippen; and noted additional
annexations are coming to the city as well in addition to providing city services from
every
department as the city continues to grow.

Mr. Wall noted the 2021 budget was $10.5 million and $18 million in 2022; and that
all the millage tax would go into the general fund bucket; and recommends the
Council adopt a millage and not have to use fund balance.

Mayor Pro Tem Barber noted as a reference, the Police Department was initially
approved based on the population at the time, which was 29,000 residents, and asked
that the additional millage tax, if approved, be used appropriately for services throughout
all city departments, noting the requests made for a mid-year budget review, and asked if
all new developments that have been referenced in the 1,900 number includes all new
development projects for the city.

Mr. Gardiner noted the 1,900 does not include the 1,300 approved residential
development on Flippen Road, and proposed annexations, which would add to the
population and services even more and are not included; noting the city will bring forward
the 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (ClP) to address long-range projects.

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Councilman Thomas asked about the Tax Relief Grant from the State, and whether or not
citizens would need to apply for the credit.

Mr. Harris noted the Tax Credit will be automatic, as long as the resident
currently has a
homestead exemption on file, noting the amount would be based on the imposed
millage
and the assessed value of the home, and the state would submit
payment to the County,
who would then submit payment to the City.

Councilman Thomas agreed with Mayor Pro Tem Barber that the budget discussion
should have taken place priorto the Millage Rate Hearings, noting he has a
history of
reviewing the operating budget line by line in its entirety; noted the Council needs to do its
due diligence as it relates to the budget, noting he is not favorable to
coming back with a
new millage rate over the next couple of years.

Mr. Wall noted the City renegotiated L.O.S.T. (Local Option Sales
Tax) and those
number will be reflected in the budget, which currently, the city relies on heavily;
noted the City Council has worked hard to try to balance Quality of Life events for its
citizens; and noted the city of Stockbridge has not levied a property tax since 1977 and
that almost all of the 535 cities in Georgia levy a property tax.

Councilman Thomas noted he has always been an advocate for a lean budget and would
rather see cuts to the budget rather than assess a tax to the citizens.

Councilwoman Gantt agreed with Councilman Thomas, noting she does not want to
come back to the citizens for more taxes, and also does not want the city to be in the
hole; and prefers to implement a tax based on the recommendation of Mr. Wall, the
Financial Advisor, to carry us through.

Councilman Alexander stated that he will not approve a millage rate higher that 3.77,
further noting he is not okay for staff advocating for a higher millage, and
agreed with staff
revisiting the budget to make cuts where you can; noted his support of economic
development; and referenced Mr. comments regarding the L.O.S.T. (Local Option
Sales Tax) numbers that were increasing each year; and referenced the new hotels
coming on line which would increase the Hotel/Motel tax.

Mr. Gardiner agreed the Hotel/Motel tax will be a funding source with hotels
currently
under construction, and the Bestwestern Plus hotel is currently for sale.

Councilman Alexander noted growth is exponential and does not include the increase in
sales tax; noted citizens want the City Council to take it slow and assess the minimum
rate possible.

Councilman Thomas asked Mr. Wall to calculate the difference between Option 3 of 3.77
mils and Option 4 of 4.0 mills.

Mr. Wall responded $418,000.00

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Councilman Thomas noted he was certain that amount could be cut from the FY2024
budget

Mayor Ford noted he is in favor of the recommendation from staff and Mr. Wall of 4.215

Motion to adopt a Millage Rate of 3.77, and to move forward with the Homestead
Exemption, Frozen Exemption, Septic Exemption and Senior Exemptions for the City of
Stockbridge residents made by Councilman Alexander; seconded by Mayor Pro Tem
Barber. Mayor Ford stated his support of the 4.215 millage rate recommended
by staff.
Councilwoman Gantt stated her support of the 4.215 millage rate and agreed to move
forward; Mayor Pro Tem Barber stated she has made requests for a mid-year budget
review. The motion to adopt the 3.77 mills passed unanimously.

Motion to adjourn the meeting made by Councilman Alexander; seconded by Mayor Pro
Tem Barber. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 10:40 am.

Respectfully submitted by:

Vanessa Holiday, City Clerk ny 8. F0 Ma

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