Commissioners Hold Public Hearing on Millage Rate

Forsyth County Commissioners held a public hearing on the tentatively adopted millage rates Thursday, which will remain the same as last year at 7.656 mills. The budget is balanced with $91,819,214 in projected revenue and spending.

Chief Financial Officer David Gruen presented a five-year history of the millage rate that showed a 2012 millage rate of 4.812 for maintenance and operations, 1.975 for fire and 0.869 for bonds.

No one rose to speak against or in favor of the tax rate. But a recent decision by commissioners to spend $700,000 to purchase an ambulance for Children's Healthcare of Forsyth drew a negative response from three speakers, including former Commissioner David Richard.

Richard scolded the all-Republican board, telling them they should "turn in their Republican membership cards. You can't even properly fund your Hazmat unit and you're looking at buying a $700,000 ambulance," Richard said. "You're talking about buying property for a private entity and that is wrong no matter what the need."

Brad Wilkins, vice chairman of the Forsyth County Republican Party, reminded the board that three weeks ago, county government was struggling to plug a $1.3 million budget deficit and commissioners called on department heads to make further budget cuts.

"Now, three weeks later, you are going to give away 700,000 of our taxpayer dollars to a private entity. You can't do this," Wilkins said." You have to revisit this."

Wilkins added, "I want to remind you of one thing. This county does not have money to donate on its own. It's not like you're digging into your own pockets and giving money away. It's the taxpayers' money."

Trilbey Leech, a member of Concerned Citizens of Forsyth County, also spoke against the donation, saying, "It is not your place to support private charities, It is the place of the individual."

In other action, the board again postponed action on the long-simmering Lanier Golf Course issue and held a first reading on a change in the Parks and Recreation Ordinance that prohibits the use of tobacco products in any form in all the county's parks, except in specifically designated areas.

The board also approved a banking services contract with United Community Bank. UCB made an initial offering to provide the services at a cost of up to $50,000 annually, but has since agreed to provide those services for free for the first 12 months. The four-year contract is renewable after the first year.

Commissioners approved the contract on a 2-1 vote. Commissioner Jim Boff was opposed, Commissioner Todd Levent was absent and Commissioner Patrick Bell recused himself because a family member had recently completed a transaction with UCB.