Douglas County Proposed Budget Increases By $13.5 Million

DOUGLASVILLE, GA - The Douglas County commissioners introduced their proposed $130.1 million 2020 budget this week, according to the Douglas County Sentinel.

The proposed budget is an increase of $13.5 million from the 2019 adopted budget of $89.6 million. One of the biggest increases is in public safety, which is projected to get $39.8 million - a $5.6 million increase from 2019, County Finance Director Jennifer Hallman said according to the Douglas County Sentinel.

Equipment and the leasing of 35 new Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles were among the items requested, she said. Sheriff Tim Pounds is contributing $500,000 from confiscated drug busts towards the equipment purchase.

Hallman said the sheriff is also asking for 17 school resource officers and money for deputy raises. The cost for the resource officers is projected at $1 million. According to Hallman, the Board of Education has verbally agreed to pay about $595,000 of that.

“The county has historically done a great job of being conservative - do as much for as little as possible,” said District 2 Commissioner Kelly Robinson, according to the Sentinel.

But Robinson said that at some point, the county budget has to grow because it can’t be sustained. He said that Douglas is about 30,000-50,000 residents short of having more than 200,000 people.

“There’s no regression, no room where we need to cut back,” Robinson said. “This budget requires a higher level performance - if you maintain what you’ve traditionally done against this budget, we’re not going to make it," said Robinson, according to the Sentinel.

A financial advisor who attended the commissioner's budget retreat told county officials they were spending more money than they’re bringing in, said District 4 Commissioner Ann Jones Guider

She said a project in her district couldn't be done because of a lack of Special Purpose Local Sales Tax, or SPLOST, funding. Guider said that the commissioner are relying too much on the that, thinking that voters will approve it again. It barely passed last time.

“We’re using our fund balance and we’re just right at the minimum,” Guider said according to the Sentinel. “We’re not living within our means - we just keep going up.”

The Board of Commissioners will have a final public hearing Dec. 17 when the budget is expected to be adopted.