Even with a planned 1-mill increase in the property tax rate this fall, Barrow County’s government is on perilous financial footing for the upcoming fiscal year, according to the county’s chief financial officer.
In a presentation Tuesday night, CFO Rose Kisaalita sounded an alarm about the county’s faltering finances and called for more controls over spending and greater efforts to locate additional revenue.
The FY2011 budget, which is being placed in the libraries for public review this week, shows a paper-thin margin of only $40,000 more revenues than expenses.
[Full Story »]
County’s budget gap at $3 million
The gap between income and expenses for Barrow County’s FY11 budget is a $3 million shortfall. And as he did last year, commissioner Steve Worley has taken personally the challenge to balance Barrow County’s budget.
But his recommended solution might require another reduction in force to eliminate seven full-time positions and one part-time position — as well as a 1-mill increase in the property tax rate, Worley told the Barrow Journal this week. He declined to identify which positions he thinks could be eliminated since that would be up to the Barrow County Board of Commissioners.
“I feel like that needs to be discussed in executive session with the whole board,” he said.
Worley said his recommended cuts are based on the assumption that the board would not be inclined to raise the millage rate beyond the “revenue neutral” point of merely recouping the revenue that may be lost due to the second successive drop in the tax digest. [Full Story »]
But his recommended solution might require another reduction in force to eliminate seven full-time positions and one part-time position — as well as a 1-mill increase in the property tax rate, Worley told the Barrow Journal this week. He declined to identify which positions he thinks could be eliminated since that would be up to the Barrow County Board of Commissioners.
“I feel like that needs to be discussed in executive session with the whole board,” he said.
Worley said his recommended cuts are based on the assumption that the board would not be inclined to raise the millage rate beyond the “revenue neutral” point of merely recouping the revenue that may be lost due to the second successive drop in the tax digest. [Full Story »]
EEOC mediation: No settlement yet
Ten hours of private negotiations Monday did not yield an immediate settlement of four workplace discrimination complaints against Barrow County’s government.
But attorneys at the end of the mediation said settlement talks would continue, indicating that some progress was made in resolving the employees’ widely publicized claims of racial and gender discrimination by Barrow County officials.
County attorney Angela Davis said the employees’ attorneys had made a settlement offer that would be considered by the Barrow County Board of Commissioners.
“We did not reach a settlement today, but we do have an outstanding offer that the board will continue to consider and will discuss tomorrow at an executive session,” Davis said Monday night.
“I think partly it’s late in the day and we just needed to conclude, but we are still negotiating.” [Full Story »]
But attorneys at the end of the mediation said settlement talks would continue, indicating that some progress was made in resolving the employees’ widely publicized claims of racial and gender discrimination by Barrow County officials.
County attorney Angela Davis said the employees’ attorneys had made a settlement offer that would be considered by the Barrow County Board of Commissioners.
“We did not reach a settlement today, but we do have an outstanding offer that the board will continue to consider and will discuss tomorrow at an executive session,” Davis said Monday night.
“I think partly it’s late in the day and we just needed to conclude, but we are still negotiating.” [Full Story »]
Yearwood curtails media access
In extraordinary action to curtail public access to information about the county government, Barrow County commission chairman Danny Yearwood summoned all department managers and elected officials to the government’s headquarters on Wednesday and ordered them not to allow their employees to speak to the press.
He said any managers who grant newspaper interviews also must charge for any time exceeding 15 minutes, sources said.
Yearwood reportedly cited the Georgia Open Records Act as his legal authority for this unprecedented policy of charging for the interviews of public employees.
However, he did not consult with county attorney Angela Davis about the provisions of the state law prior to the meeting.
And a spokesman for Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker said Friday that the open records act includes no provision for charging money for interviews. [Full Story »]
He said any managers who grant newspaper interviews also must charge for any time exceeding 15 minutes, sources said.
Yearwood reportedly cited the Georgia Open Records Act as his legal authority for this unprecedented policy of charging for the interviews of public employees.
However, he did not consult with county attorney Angela Davis about the provisions of the state law prior to the meeting.
And a spokesman for Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker said Friday that the open records act includes no provision for charging money for interviews. [Full Story »]
Builder takes on Worley
A local builder criticized at last week’s meeting of the Barrow County Board of Commissioners responded to the public criticism Tuesday night by taking on his critic, commissioner Steve Worley.
An angry Scott Clack, owner of Clack Construction LLC, said Worley’s facts were wrong and he questioned Worley’s motive for raising concerns about builders asking for code concessions while some had not paid for county permits to do their work.
“He states in his district alone there was $6,400 lost due to permits not being issue,” Clack said. “If you are so concerned about the $6,400, why did you vote to give an $8,000 pay raise before the position was even filled?” [Full Story »]
An angry Scott Clack, owner of Clack Construction LLC, said Worley’s facts were wrong and he questioned Worley’s motive for raising concerns about builders asking for code concessions while some had not paid for county permits to do their work.
“He states in his district alone there was $6,400 lost due to permits not being issue,” Clack said. “If you are so concerned about the $6,400, why did you vote to give an $8,000 pay raise before the position was even filled?” [Full Story »]
Legal guns blazing: Response given in EEOC case
Three months after three employees joined together to file Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charges of race and gender discrimination against the county government, an attorney for the county’s liability insurance company has filed strongly worded responses on the county’s behalf.
Benton J. Mathis Jr. of Freeman Mathis & Gary represents liability insurer Public Risk Underwriters (Travelers), which faces a potential $2 million loss due to that annual cap on all “employment practices” claims during the current fiscal year.
County attorney Angela Davis last week released copies of the firm’s EEOC responses.
She said this week that the insurance company’s law firm has taken over the county’s defense of the claims filed by Human Resources director Norma Jean Brown, senior network administrator Sebastian Ododa, and planner Daunte Gibbs. [Full Story »]
Benton J. Mathis Jr. of Freeman Mathis & Gary represents liability insurer Public Risk Underwriters (Travelers), which faces a potential $2 million loss due to that annual cap on all “employment practices” claims during the current fiscal year.
County attorney Angela Davis last week released copies of the firm’s EEOC responses.
She said this week that the insurance company’s law firm has taken over the county’s defense of the claims filed by Human Resources director Norma Jean Brown, senior network administrator Sebastian Ododa, and planner Daunte Gibbs. [Full Story »]
Builders want looser county codes
Smaller home sizes, no sidewalks and reducing sewer tap-on fees are among the changes Barrow County builders would like to see made to the unified development code.
Representatives of the Barrow County Builders Association met with the board of commissioners Tuesday night to review their recommended changes to the code. Instead of getting an answer to their requests, the builders left with a packet of documents from District 3 commissioner Steve Worley that he says backs his allegations that the county’s current code requirements for licenses and permits are not being followed.
Worley said he wouldn’t agree to the builders' proposed changes until the current codes are enforced. He encouraged the builders present at the meeting “to get the word out” to other builders and developers about his allegations of codes and permit requirements not being followed. [Full Story »]
Representatives of the Barrow County Builders Association met with the board of commissioners Tuesday night to review their recommended changes to the code. Instead of getting an answer to their requests, the builders left with a packet of documents from District 3 commissioner Steve Worley that he says backs his allegations that the county’s current code requirements for licenses and permits are not being followed.
Worley said he wouldn’t agree to the builders' proposed changes until the current codes are enforced. He encouraged the builders present at the meeting “to get the word out” to other builders and developers about his allegations of codes and permit requirements not being followed. [Full Story »]
BOC votes for a ‘county administrator'
Although the Barrow County Board of Commissioners voted 4-2 to begin searching for a “county administrator,” the action appears to have fallen short of removing power from controversial BOC chairman Danny Yearwood.
With the help of some vocal friends and supporters in the audience, Yearwood Tuesday night fended off – at least temporarily – a planned effort to reduce his involvement in the day-to-day operations of the county government.
Commissioner Ben Hendrix late last week asked the city clerk to include on the meeting’s agenda the issue of changing the county’s charter to a county-manager form of government and possibly voting to search for a new county manager.
After learning of the planned action, Yearwood devised a dramatic course of action that left no doubt about where he stands on the issue.
Reading from a prepared statement in which he called into question the financial management of the county under previous administrators, Yearwood excused himself from the meeting and joined his friends in the audience. [Full Story »]
With the help of some vocal friends and supporters in the audience, Yearwood Tuesday night fended off – at least temporarily – a planned effort to reduce his involvement in the day-to-day operations of the county government.
Commissioner Ben Hendrix late last week asked the city clerk to include on the meeting’s agenda the issue of changing the county’s charter to a county-manager form of government and possibly voting to search for a new county manager.
After learning of the planned action, Yearwood devised a dramatic course of action that left no doubt about where he stands on the issue.
Reading from a prepared statement in which he called into question the financial management of the county under previous administrators, Yearwood excused himself from the meeting and joined his friends in the audience. [Full Story »]
Barrow faces continued budget pressure for FY2011
Barrow County officials are gearing up to begin work on the FY2011 budget and all options for how to balance it are on the table, including a possible hike in property taxes.
Barrow County Board of Commissioners Chairman Danny Yearwood told the Barrow Journal this week that revenues will be even tighter in the coming year than they are this year and that without a reduction in services – that is, a reduction in public safety services – a tax increase is unavoidable.
Barrow Sheriff Jud Smith, with whom Yearwood butted heads over spending during last year’s budget process, said that that he does not plan to recommend any spending cuts for FY2011 and is likely to ask for more funding for the BCSO due to capital and other needs.
But BOC member Steve Worley, who helped resolve last year’s budget impasse between Yearwood and Smith, said there is room for additional layoffs in some county departments.
[Full Story »]
Barrow County Board of Commissioners Chairman Danny Yearwood told the Barrow Journal this week that revenues will be even tighter in the coming year than they are this year and that without a reduction in services – that is, a reduction in public safety services – a tax increase is unavoidable.
Barrow Sheriff Jud Smith, with whom Yearwood butted heads over spending during last year’s budget process, said that that he does not plan to recommend any spending cuts for FY2011 and is likely to ask for more funding for the BCSO due to capital and other needs.
But BOC member Steve Worley, who helped resolve last year’s budget impasse between Yearwood and Smith, said there is room for additional layoffs in some county departments.
[Full Story »]
Yearwood: Tough decisions ahead
Barrow County’s elected leaders last year took significant steps to curb spending and county employees are doing more with fewer resources. But the county government’s fiscal troubles are continuing, according Commission Chairman Danny Yearwood.
“The current projection is a $1 million deficit in 2010,” Yearwood said Tuesday in his annual State of the County address to the Barrow County Chamber of Commerce.
He said the county was forced to make very difficult, but necessary decisions last year, cutting jobs and other spending.
“If we had continued on the path we were on, this county, like many others, would have been broke,” Yearwood said. [Full Story »]
“The current projection is a $1 million deficit in 2010,” Yearwood said Tuesday in his annual State of the County address to the Barrow County Chamber of Commerce.
He said the county was forced to make very difficult, but necessary decisions last year, cutting jobs and other spending.
“If we had continued on the path we were on, this county, like many others, would have been broke,” Yearwood said. [Full Story »]
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