Chatham manager recommends $81M budget

Chatham County Manager Charlie Horne recommended an $81 million budget today with a tax rate of 60.32 cents per $100 of assessed property value to help offset this year’s revaluation.

The “revenue neutral” rate lowers the tax rate from its current 65.3 cents so that residents whose property rose in value by the average amount pay about the same in county property taxes.

The 2009 revaluation initially showed a 24 percent increase in real property values. But the overall tax base is projected to grow only 15 percent due to revaluation appeals and a decline in the value of vehicles, business personal property and utility properties.

"It's important for taxpayers to know that revenue neutral does not mean that their next tax bill will be the same as their last one," Assistant County Manager Renee Paschal said in a release. "All property owners will be affected differently, depending on how much their real property values changed and how the new tax rate affects their motor vehicles and personal property."

Horn’s proposed general fund budget is 3 percent lower than the current budget. Budget cuts include suspending merit salary increases during the current budget year and also postpones implementing a pay plan to bring all employees up to at least the minimum of their pay range, based on the local market.  

The proposed budget funds the school capital improvement plan so projects stay on schedule, a goal of the county commissioners.

New budget items include two positions previously funded by grants: a domestic violence investigator (net cost $30,356) and criminal enforcement/K9 team field supervisor (net cost $23,331).

It also includes an update of the county's land use plan (net cost $60,000) and new transportation planner (net cost $59,634). Both are goals of the Chatham County commissioners.