Toccoa Commissioners Approve FY 17 Budget

Toccoa City Commissioners sign off on the city’s budget for the next fiscal year.

Monday, the city commission unanimously approved the Fiscal Year 2017 budget.

According to Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse, the proposed budget totals $35,496,758, which is $671,228 less than the Fiscal Year 2016 budget.

Morse said the budget proposes to keep the property tax millage rate the same and does not increase utility rates or other user fees, while growing reserve accounts and increasing salaries three percent for all city departments.

Toccoa Mayor Evan Hellenga said he is pleased with the final budget that the city has approved.

“We are going to do a three percent raise for our employees,” said Hellenga. Obviously, we have a lot of things to maintain and that infrastructure is very important. We think it is a reasonable budget with no frills.”

Hellenga went on to say that he appreciates all of the time and effort the Department heads put into preparing their budget requests that reflect the goals established by the City Commission.

He said maintaining a high level of services for the citizens of Toccoa without raising the property tax millage rate was one thing the city wanted to accomplish in the Fiscal Year 2017 budget.

Under the proposed Fiscal Year 2017 budget, the major decrease is in the gas fund, where the city is projecting a drop of around $1.65 million due to an expected decrease in gas purchase for resale.

The city’s other operating funds, including the general fund, water and sewer fund, solid waste fund, and golf fund, are all expected to increase from between $180,000 to just over $300,000 in Fiscal Year 2017 compared to Fiscal Year 2016.

Toccoa’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget takes effect on July 1.