Some departments will have a difficult time without affecting salaries and possibly having to furlough employees, finance officer Stewart Mills told county commissioners at a work session Friday.
The county’s general fund budget would drop from the current $40 million to $38 million.
If the economy continues going downhill, 5 percent may not be enough, Mills said. By the end of this month, “we should know how much we’re out of balance,” he said.
The county would lose $1 million under the state’s plans to end an $8,000 homestead exemption, and court fines and other revenues are decreasing “as a ripple effect of what’s going on in the economy,” Mills said. Grants also are expected to be reduced, said Assistant County Manager Tod Tentler.
The county can’t use its special-purpose local-option sales tax money to balance the general fund because it can be spent only on the projects for which it was authorized.
In another matter Friday, county engineer James Emery said the first phase of the 6.1-mile South Loop is expected be completed this summer under a state contract of $8.97 million.
First-phase construction, which started a year ago, will extend Pegasus Parkway into the Callaway South Industrial Park, where Kia Motors supplier Sewon is building a plant that will start production later this year.
The second, three-year phase, estimated at $25 million, will take the South Loop from Roanoke Road across West Point Road, then follow the existing Old West Point Road for a short distance before it lines up with Pegasus Parkway. The county has acquired all but two of the 51 right-of-way parcels.
The county initially was responsible for paying the $5.5 million for right of way, but the state Department of Transportation agreed to reimburse the county.
In another matter, the board is expected to vote Tuesday in favor of a low bid of $245,520 to add four clay tennis courts at Granger Park.
The bid was submitted by Howard B. Jones & Sons Inc. in Lexington, S.C. Other bids were $249,927 from Southeastern Tennis Courts in Lilburn, $283,915 from Welch Tennis Courts in Sun City, Fla., and $324,861 from Langford Construction Co. in LaGrange.
The Chattahoochee Area Tennis Association has raised $287,500 for the project, which also includes parking and other expenses.
The county has to approve the construction bid so donors can get a tax write-off, Tentler said.
Joel Martin can be reached at jmartin@lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 235.
Honestly do we really need to spend that money on tennis courts? The answer is NO!
Why cant we have a special-purpose local-option sales tax? It WOULD be spent on what we authorize it for! Helping our county is what its for!
When are our elected officials going to start being responsible and accountable to the people of Troup County? Stop spending money on tennis courts you bunch of irresponsible weasles.