Public Hearing Thursday on Forsyth's Proposed Budget

Forsyth County taxpayers will get their first opportunity Thursday to comment on the proposed $89.6 million Fiscal Year 2012-2013 general fund budget.

A public hearing on the budget will be held at 5 p.m. in the commissioners’ meeting room (Suite 220) in the Forsyth County Administration Building, located at 110 E. Main Street in downtown Cumming.

According to Finance Director Dave Gruen, the budget is about 3 percent below last year’s budget of about $92.4 million. This is because two funds were moved out of the general fund – but overall there has been an increase.

"We moved out of the general fund the insurance premium tax and put that in a separate fund," he explained. "That moved out about $7 million that reduced the general fund."

Several grants, totaling about $2.5 million, were also moved into a special grant, again reducing the general fund, and an internal service fund was closed and moved back into the general fund.

"So when I make those kind of changes with the numbers – where I end up with is a 3.6 percent increase in the general fund," Gruen said.

The public will have an opportunity to voice their opinion concerning the budget during Thursday's meeting.

A copy of the 2013 Proposed Budget Presentation and the 2013 Proposed Budget can be downloaded from the PDF files to the right of this article.