‘Sky Is Not Falling’ - Tuesday, 08/18/2015
Let me give you some good news about our county:
Fiscal Year 2014: Budget was balanced. No deficit spending. No tax increase.
FY2015: Budget was balanced. No deficit spending. No tax increase.
Now, FY2016: Budget is balanced. No deficit spending. No tax increase.
FY2016 continues the Board of Commissioners’ philosophy of fiscal conservatism, superior local government services, no deficit spending, no tax increases.
So if you read or hear that this Board of Commissioners has suddenly lost its way, here’s a fact. This Board of Commissioners has consistently had a strong majority willing to balance the budget. Regardless from which corner those acorns drop, the sky is NOT falling, as Chicken Little lamented.
Our balanced budgets reflect what can be achieved when county leaders work together .... elected officials, constitutional officers, department heads, and our incredible Fayette County employees. All play a vital role in this TEAM effort, and all achieved what one alone could not.
Highlights FY2016:
No property tax increase.
Full millage rollback.
General Fund revenue $50.5 million, expenditures $49.7 million.
$859,794 added to the county’s fund balance.
Projected fund balance $26.8 million.
Projected vehicle & equipment fund balance $5.5 million after planned capital improvement expenditures.
$7.5 million overfunded retirement plan with an estimated $493,000 reduction in future, yearly operating costs, the only county in Georgia with an overfunded plan.
Triple AAA Bond Rating from Moody’s and Standard & Poors.
One more thought: Sometimes we overlook the good stories. My Mom always said no one ever notices a clean house. There’s a lot of truth to that. Well, here’s a story we should not overlook. You could say it’s one of those “clean house” stories. This story needs to be told.
When it came time to pass our FY2016 budget this past June, the commissioners could not agree on a COLA (cost of living adjustment) for county employees. Without our fifth commissioner, the remaining commissioners could not reach consensus. To ensure passage of a budget, the proposed COLA was withdrawn. But here’s Mom’s “clean house” story.
Shortly after the budget vote, as word spread, something incredible unfolded. It brought to mind the closing scene of one of my favorite movies, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” One by one, each and every Fayette County department head volunteered to forgo his or her COLA if it could mean securing a COLA for the employees of the county.
Although one might conclude the real life story didn’t end as happily as the movie, I would argue the real story was the display of close-knit loyalty among our department heads and staff. From the county administrator to the department heads to the more than 700 employees working in Fayette County, there exists a level of camaraderie that is rare today.
The intangible benefits to our county cannot be ignored, and I offer my thanks to each and every one who made their selfless offers.
Personally speaking, the sky is NOT falling.
Fiscal Year 2014: Budget was balanced. No deficit spending. No tax increase.
FY2015: Budget was balanced. No deficit spending. No tax increase.
Now, FY2016: Budget is balanced. No deficit spending. No tax increase.
FY2016 continues the Board of Commissioners’ philosophy of fiscal conservatism, superior local government services, no deficit spending, no tax increases.
So if you read or hear that this Board of Commissioners has suddenly lost its way, here’s a fact. This Board of Commissioners has consistently had a strong majority willing to balance the budget. Regardless from which corner those acorns drop, the sky is NOT falling, as Chicken Little lamented.
Our balanced budgets reflect what can be achieved when county leaders work together .... elected officials, constitutional officers, department heads, and our incredible Fayette County employees. All play a vital role in this TEAM effort, and all achieved what one alone could not.
Highlights FY2016:
No property tax increase.
Full millage rollback.
General Fund revenue $50.5 million, expenditures $49.7 million.
$859,794 added to the county’s fund balance.
Projected fund balance $26.8 million.
Projected vehicle & equipment fund balance $5.5 million after planned capital improvement expenditures.
$7.5 million overfunded retirement plan with an estimated $493,000 reduction in future, yearly operating costs, the only county in Georgia with an overfunded plan.
Triple AAA Bond Rating from Moody’s and Standard & Poors.
One more thought: Sometimes we overlook the good stories. My Mom always said no one ever notices a clean house. There’s a lot of truth to that. Well, here’s a story we should not overlook. You could say it’s one of those “clean house” stories. This story needs to be told.
When it came time to pass our FY2016 budget this past June, the commissioners could not agree on a COLA (cost of living adjustment) for county employees. Without our fifth commissioner, the remaining commissioners could not reach consensus. To ensure passage of a budget, the proposed COLA was withdrawn. But here’s Mom’s “clean house” story.
Shortly after the budget vote, as word spread, something incredible unfolded. It brought to mind the closing scene of one of my favorite movies, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” One by one, each and every Fayette County department head volunteered to forgo his or her COLA if it could mean securing a COLA for the employees of the county.
Although one might conclude the real life story didn’t end as happily as the movie, I would argue the real story was the display of close-knit loyalty among our department heads and staff. From the county administrator to the department heads to the more than 700 employees working in Fayette County, there exists a level of camaraderie that is rare today.
The intangible benefits to our county cannot be ignored, and I offer my thanks to each and every one who made their selfless offers.
Personally speaking, the sky is NOT falling.