Maysville PD fines to jump 50%
Jackson tax rate to drop in 2008 budget
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
With little discussion, the Maysville City Council approved a 2008 budget that is eight percent higher than 2007 during a called meeting Monday night. The new budget calls for a 50 percent jump in city police fine income, which suggests the department will be stopping and fining more motorists during the year.
The budget calls for municipal court fines to go from $100,000 in 2007 to $150,000 in 2008, a 50 percent increase.
The budget also calls for a 14 percent drop in the town’s tax rate on its Jackson County residents and a slight increase in the Banks County rate. The 2008 Jackson County rate was set at 2.728 mills, down from 3.194 mills last year. The 2008 Banks County rate was set at .81 mills, up from .71mills in 2007. Together, city property tax income is expected to decline by 6 percent.
A third public hearing was held on the city budget prior to Monday’s called meeting. No citizens were in attendance. A hearing was also held last Thursday. No citizens attended the meeting, but Alan Harkness, regional director of the Piedmont Regional Library System, spoke with the council about the Maysville Library.
Harkness, said he is working on a four-year plan to present to Maysville officials which would help make the city’s library more successful.
“I have been working with libraries for the past 23 years,” Harkness said. “I am glad to be working with this council on this matter.”
“We plan on working with you and helping make our library even better,” said Maysville mayor Jerry Baker.
Monday night, Councilmember Lynn Villyard inquired about obtaining additional funds for the library, but mayor Jerry Baker said no additional money was available. The library budget is cut in the 2008 budget.
EXPENSES
On the expense side, the city cut most department’s spending, except for general government and the police department.
The police department, the town’s largest department, got a 16 percent increase in projected spending to $309,700, up from $266,900 in 2007. Some $16,000 of that increase was due to an expected hike in fine payments to be passed along to the state from the overall increase in city fine income.
WATER/SEWER/GARBAGE BUDGET
In the town’s water, sewer and garbage budget, the town expects to have $643,600 in income and expenses. Most of the income and expense are in the water department, which makes up $495,000 of the total.
