Oconee County Commissioners To Approve FY 18 Budget And Consider Special Use Request For Landscaping Business

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night is expected to give final approval to a Fiscal Year 2018 budget that is 3.4 percent greater than the budget for the current fiscal year, but the county has not yet provided detailed information on how revenue will grow to meet the budget increase.

The two primary sources of funds for the General Fund Budget, which makes up 54.0 percent of the overall budget, are sales taxes and property taxes.

Budget documents released by County Finance Director Wes Geddings to date do not provide figures for either.

Since the county is proposing to keep the millage, or property tax, rate the same for next year, the expected growth in property tax valuation will translate into a tax increase.

The Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night also is scheduled to make a decision on a number of rezone requests, including one by Chad Forehand to be allowed to operate his landscaping business in land zoned for agriculture.

Forehand pleaded guilty in Oconee County Magistrate Court last year for operating his business without a license and for violation of county zoning, but court records show that he has not responded to a court order that he obtain a license and get the permit to operate his business at his current location.

For more on this story, go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Sign On Property Being Used For Landscaping Business.