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New capital budget to up Flowery Branch spending
Tax increase not expected in proposed $6M budget
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Flowery Branch is preparing to roll out its fiscal year 2013 budget, with no tax rate increase or rollup expected for the South Hall city’s residents.The total budget will run about $6 million, featuring expenses for general operations, sewer and water, and capital projects, City Manager Bill Andrew said after Thursday night’s City Council meeting.He brought up the topic during the meeting, saying copies of the budget would be available to the public next week and that a public hearing has been set for May 17.The budget also will be posted on the city’s website, www.flowerybranchga.org.The council is scheduled to approve the budget June 7, with fiscal year 2013 beginning July 1. The council is operating this year on a $5.1 million budget. Fiscal year 2013’s proposed amount is higher because of the new capital budget.The city, which has been discussing the need for roads, stormwater and other infrastructure projects, hopes to see its share of local option sales tax money increase because of its rise in population as reflected by the 2010 census.Also, last year, the government had planned to pull some $190,000 out of reserves to balance the budget.However, a fee paid to the city for every insurance policy taken out in the city increased to $50 per policy from $25, producing a windfall of $177,000.“Because of that, we didn’t have to spend (from reserves),” Andrew said.