The Hall County Board of Commissioners adopted a balanced budget Thursday night for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2021, and ends June 30, 2022.
The 2021 General Fund millage rate, which is the property tax rate that supports general maintenance and operations, was reduced from 4.853 mills to 4.636 mills, representing a full rollback due to revaluation. The Fire Fund millage rate, which supports Fire Services, remains at 2.65 mills for unincorporated residents and 4.08 for incorporated residents. Other tax service district millage rates include Emergency Services at 0.571 mills, Development Services at 1.005 mills, and Parks & Leisure at 0.364 mills, all of which remain the same as the 2020 rates.
"This balanced budget continues to reflect conservative financial management on the part of the Hall County Board of Commissioners and Hall County staff,” said Hall County Administrator Jock Connell. “It also supports the long-term goals of the County while providing a high-level of service to citizens."
FY 2022 budget highlights include compensation adjustments for employees with a continued investment in employee recruitment and retention, succession planning and expanded career path opportunities as articulated in the Hall County Strategic Plan.
The budget also includes an investment in sustainable, much-needed and planned-for projects that require a one-time investment utilizing American Rescue Plan (A.R.P.) funding.
“These investments include HVAC system projects, air filtration improvements and overall building upgrades to better facilitate social distancing,” said Hall County Financial Services Director Dena Bosten. “These projects clearly meet the criteria for use of ARP funding as outlined by the U.S. Treasury.”
County officials are currently awaiting final guidance and additional clarification from the federal government regarding the use of ARP funds.
“In the meantime, our goal is to budget these funds in a logical, prudent manner as funding and additional guidance becomes available in order to strategically invest in the betterment of our community in the years to come,” said Bosten.
The General Fund budget is approximately $112.2 million and includes major functions of the government, including public safety, judicial, general government and libraries. In addition to the General Fund, the Fire Fund, and three other tax service districts, the total county budget includes other operating and capital funds that are supported by user fees and other revenue sources. The total county budget for all funds is $344.5 million.
Hall County held a public hearing on the FY 2022 budget on June 10 prior to budget adoption.
The FY 2022 budget is available at www.hallcounty.org.