Commissioners Receive Draft Budget For Fiscal Year 2019

Oconee County Finance Director Wes Geddings has presented the Board of Commissioners a 2019 Fiscal Year General Fund Budget proposal that reflects a 7.6 percent growth in spending over the current fiscal year.

The increase in expenditure is matched by a projected increase in revenue.

For the second year in a row, the budget is balanced without drawing on the county’s Fund Balance, or savings, and once again does not reflect any increase in the millage rate that determines property taxes.

The budget shows a drop in the basic residential water rate of 23.3 percent but an increase in the rates paid for water beyond the 1,000 gallons covered by the basic rate of 1.0 percent.

The basic residential sewer rate would decline by 17.8 percent, but rates for treatment of sewage beyond the 1,000 covered by the base rate would go up 4.5 percent.

For more on the story, with a video of the budget hearings at which these numbers were released, go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Geddings before Commission.