A Special Called meeting for the Gilmer County Board of Commissioners turned into an impromptu Budget Discussion Friday.

The so called budget discussion followed the Commissioners discussing the Millage rate and approving their advertisement for the rate. The rate which will be advertised as 6.983 mills on the Maintenance and Operations Millage and then 1.5 mills on the Bond Millage Rate.

The Commissioners spent over two hours discussing different options for the Millage Rate. Ultimately, the Commissioners came down to two Scenarios. Scenario A was to accept the rollback rate which would include a slight decrease of close to $30,000 in the County’s revenues, which, according the Chairman Charlie Paris, accumulates over the last several years as the county has continually accepted rollback rates with property value increases. Scenario B was to set the M&O (Maintenance and Operations) to 6.983 mills and the Bond Millage Rate to 1.5 mills.

Post 1 Commissioner Dallas Miller articulated worries over the County’s Economy and Market Values and the instability of those in the future.

Post Commissioner Travis Crouch also commented saying the issue is not the budget, but the county’s many departments who are understaffed and ill-equipped. The Commissioners refused further budget cuts to employees and staff indicating that more staff cuts would eventually lead to certain services to the county being shut down.

Crouch also presented his personal research to the Board about the County’s current position in the state with regards to taxation. As you see these documents, your first tab will show the county’s in alphabetical order, the second tab indicates the county’s ordered by the lowest mill rates with Gilmer at position 19 of the 159 listed counties. Scan the third tab for a population comparison and the last two tabs for Board of Education inclusion who separately set their Millage Rate. You can also follow FYN’s story of Gilmer’s Board of Education Setting their Millage Rate.

As you follow the advertised increase, the Commissioner’s consulted Gilmer Tax Commissioner Rebecca Marshall when asked what this would mean to an average taxpayer. The final amount that average taxpayer will currently expect to see on their bill is an increase of $33.72 per $100,000 of Fair Market Value.

The approval that came from the Commissioners on Friday will begin the process as they advertise the rates and the public meetings to discuss them.