How about a 5 cent splost tax instead? Everyone can pay that and you would still meet your money needs for both school and city this way. This would avert the angry mob of the homeowners too.
The choices are tough:
Make Richmond County property owners pay more taxes and risk drawing their anger if the economy turns around.
Or, risk a $3 million loss for the school board and another $3 million for the city.
That's the predicament city and school officials were handed when Gov. Sonny Perdue announced a week ago that he was withholding $428 million from the Homestead Tax Relief Grant to help offset a projected $1.6 billion state shortfall.
Under the grant program, the state picks up part of the property tax tab and pays the city and school board on behalf of the taxpayer.
If the tax relief is not listed on tax bills, the city and school board won't be eligible for the funding relief from the state later, said Jack McAdams, chief financial officer of the Richmond County Tax Commission. But if it is included and the governor doesn't fund it, then the city and school board must pick up the tab, which totals $6 million.
The Augusta Commission will hold a special called meeting Monday to decide how to proceed, City Administrator Fred Russell said. The school board will need to make a decision as well. If Richmond County property owners don't get the benefit of the tax relief they could pay as much as $288 more on their annual tax bill. The exact amount depends on where you live in the county, with those in the Augusta city limits footing the largest amount.
Mr. Russell said the situation is frustrating because there has been no official word from the governor's office or anyone else at the state level.
"It's sort of like trying to balance your checkbook in the dark, and the bank won't tell you how much money you have," he said.
One "unofficial opinion" from a state tax assessors association suggests that tax bills include the tax relief, but Mr. Russell said he doesn't feel comfortable making decisions based on opinions from unofficial sources.
The governor's actions have potentially unbalanced the budgets of cities and school boards throughout Georgia, Mr. Russell said.
A delay in mailing tax bills, which would also postpone the arrival of revenue, could prove dicey, especially for the school board, Mr. McAdams said.
"At this time of year, they are usually calling daily asking when are the bills going out," he said.
Despite the confusion, Columbia County intends to send out tax bills today, said county Tax Commissioner Kay Allen.
Without the tax credit, the county will lose $1.45 million. The school system will lose $2.8 million, Grovetown $47,000 and Harlem $19,000, Mrs. Allen said.
The Georgia Municipal Association is advising cities to send out tax bills with the tax relief in the hope that funding will come, said Amy Henderson, public information manager. If funding doesn't come, the association recommends sending out a second tax bill to collect the shortfall from property owners.
The governor can withhold payment for the tax relief, but it will take an action of the General Assembly not to give the relief at all, Ms. Henderson said.
Columbia County Bureau Chief Donnie Fetter contributed to this story.
Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
How about a 5 cent splost tax instead? Everyone can pay that and you would still meet your money needs for both school and city this way. This would avert the angry mob of the homeowners too.
If Gov. Purdue would actually get and use the sales from OUR lottery. They bragg they have done REAL well collecting Our monies, especially from people that cant afford it. Start being more Enforcefull, and use that money now, instead of We The Peoples.
DE2 .05 tax?? If Richmond and Columbia Counties keep adding these special taxes on top of what we already pay, we the people will only have .05 on the dollar to keep and pay other bills. How about a recall on Perdue?? What happened to the state paying a fair share for the schools instead of tax payers at the local level having to pay for everything. Is columbia County getting Federal Impact money for all the military in the area and all the new schools that have to be built year after year?
Well folks, it is about time the powers to be learn to cut costs and tighten their belts instead of turning to the tax payer every time. COME ON COMMISSIONERS AND BOARD OF EDUCATION people!!!!!!
You are yelling about the taxes and "tax" this "tax" that, cut the freaking waste, reduce unnecessary services, cut perks. There are ways to save, no one is looking at them, What did you cut back on When gas and food prices skyrocketed? Did you go and demand a raise and got it? No you cut back on those "nice to have/do things", same thing govn't needs to do!
When the state pays, it's tax payer money, it's not state money. The tax credit that's being withheld is from already collected taxes. It's time the various government entities start living within their means and stop thinking like they have a golden goose. The term "budget" needs to have its original meaning restored.
How about a BUDGET that tells us what we are spending and why we are spending and what we will get for OUR money. The budget process for this city needs to be explained so we can understand it. A one page document that says department X will spend $2,5 million, dosen't really explain what we are doing. I just went through one line item for$450,000 that goes to a (two person, I think)non-profit organization for health care. In researching the organization I can find lots of info for people to donate money - but there is NO info on how to request assistance !!! In any event we are funding this and many other charities and organizations with no explanation as to what the citizenry can expect as a benefit!!!
Smiling Fred Rusell crys all the time for more taxes. Fred use what you have wisely cut back unnecessary spending.
Why is Augusta spending millions for studies of things we don't want and will never use, Ex: Trolley downtown, Ellis street canal, Marion's Racetrack and who knows what else.
A budget is just necessary to use the TAXPAYERS MONEY in the best interest of the taxpayer not to use for the whims of the commissioners on unneeded studies and wasteful spending.
disssman: I think that is part of the problem. I have looked at some of the RCBOE PAYGO minutes about IT hardware/software, and was alarmed at how large sums of money are allocated to specific schools and how the people at those school can decide how they spend it. No architecture, no standardization, and no accountability. One report even mentioned about 'finding' 10 laptop computers in a closet.
the state could save money by denying any kind of assistance, cash, medical or otherwise to all illegal aliens......and the same for all the counties
Only two options, eh - - - raise taxes or dip into the surplus reserve? Well, what about (1) firing incompetent and otherwise unproductive employees, (2) cutting "nice to have" programs (and laying employees in those programs off) that do not constitute public safety and infrastructure, (3) stop hiring all these consultants to conduct "studies" that tell the politicians exactly what they want to hear, (4) end all discussions now about a downtown trolley and a downtown baseball stadium, (5) packing Fred (What, me worry?) Russell off to another city.
There needs to be a method for taxing those persons that have children in the system but pays no property tax. We are paying for the schools for all of these illegal aliens and these people that sit on their backsides all day waiting for another hand-out. Why not go through the marble palace and fire all of the people that are just hanging around talking. I agree with previous comments, as gas and groceries go up the taxpayer does not have anyway but better management of their money and sticking to a budget. Require all departments to go to zero budgeting and define and justify every expense. Our local, state and federal governments are leading this country into another depression.
Maybe we can hold up on the 10 million dollar welfare check to MCG; it is money that we don't have yet from SPLOST that is already promised.
I agree with all the above, but my suggestion was ONLY temporary at best to get money and relieve homeowners. Yes, they need to cut their agenda of "lets build a......" and fire those like Fred Russell, and Mayor Pro Tem or at least cut their perks PERIOD! We all have seen this coming and so did the city.
Trust me, if you cut the waste, perks, pork barrell spending, studies which lead to nothing and all the high paying do nothing administrator positions, RC would have a surplus!!!! Times get tough the tough get going. Voters need to get going. The days of spend on "feel good" things are over!!!!
Sandbopx, Ft Gordon is in Richmond County and I believe that is who gets the fed impact money.
Georgians continue to pay a higher percentage of their income in state and local taxes than any other state in the Southeast, according to a report released Thursday.
The Tax Foundation, a Washington-based fiscal watchdog group, reported that Georgia ranked 16th in the country in terms of how much state and local taxes its residents pay.
NO MORE TAXES
Parts of Fort Gordon are in Richmond, Columbia, McDuffie, and Jefferson Counties. If I remember correctly, military parents fill out a form at the school their child attends and that is what determines the allocation of impact funds. Another example of information the new, highly paid, RCBOE PIO director could be putting out.
The Impact Aid payments are made to school districts of your children.In 1994 richmond county was paid $1,832.24 for my two kids.Each child impact payment are not the same amount.Contact US Department Of Education for your amounts.
(202)260-1465
Impact Aid Program,number
Richmond County Schools Impact Aid: $1,065,000.00 http://www.localschooldirectory.com/districts.php/district_id/721/distri... Columbia County Schools Impact Aid: $197,000.00 http://www.localschooldirectory.com/districts.php/district_id/636/distri... This site also provides a lot of other financial information
I might be getting too deep into a subject on which I'm not an authority. Something tells me that Impact Aid is based on people who work at Fort Gordon who are not residents, that is people who do not claim homestead exemption so they do not pay local school taxes. Military in CC tend to be homeowners and in A-RC they tend to be renters, so that could be why there is such a big difference in the amounts received.
They should drop the x-mart issue now. That would save us a few million.
Presumption of the future proceeds from a grant program should have been the first thing they considered a possible cut before they even entered into budget decision-making. This is what happens in a credit-dependent world of economy. Just charge it and pay for it later. Unless the limit is reached and no money can be spent. Amazing incredulity. Little Lamb you hit the nail right on at 8:35.
Richmond County taxpayers need to form a citizen's group and challenge the tax increase and force the government to operate more efficiently and effectively.
To Getalife, we the people do not force the government to do anything. They force US! All we can do is elect somebody different next time.
Go look at the ARC 2008 budget and you will see things like $16.5 MILLION for recreation services. Now I don't advocate doing away with services but what is the "ADULT PROGRAM and why does it need $60-90 thousand or what is the youth program and why does it need $60-90 thousand. Believe me there is no explanation, for an expense just a figure on a piece of paper that you and I are expected to never read or understand, but we are expected to pay for it. Another one is $25,000 for a room at the RADISON? The RCBOE is no different, You probably heard we have a visiting Chinese teacher that will teach for a couple of weeks, well we (taxpayers) paid thousands of dollars for lodging, transportation and incidentals for that trip. Wonder why no one in america could teach the class, would it have been too cheap?
Why is it that Fred Russel has such tunnel vision that he can only see the problem being resolved on the backs of the Richmond County Property owners? Budget, budget, budget and cut of the fat. We have to and so should RCBOE. Stop putting the entire burden of poor planning on the backs of the property owners, many of who don't even have children in the system. Russell seems to forget that we are paying the same high prices for groceries, medical care, gas, etc. as everyone else and it's an added burden to continue to see property taxes skyrocket.
Little Lamb, other counties through-out Georgia have citizen groups that have questioned the spending and the increases in the cost of government and increased property taxes. I use Pike and Washington-Wilkes counties as examples, in both cases the tax assessments reverted back to the year before. People banding together can do something. Nothing can be done as long as people say, "nothing can be done"!
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