Divided County Commission Approves $1.1B Budget

FULTON COUNTY, GA — A divided Fulton County Commission at its Jan. 23 meeting give the green light for the fiscal year 2019 budget. Commissioners voted 4-3, with Commissioners Liz Hausmann, Bob Ellis and Lee Morris opposing, to enact the $1.1 billion budget.

“The budget adopted by the Board addresses many of the major issues affecting our citizens, while maintaining our fund balance and lowering the millage rate,” said Chairman Robb Pitts.

The chairman also said the budget accounts for employee performance bonuses, totaling about $13.5 million, and a mid-year, 3 percent cost-of-living increase. Fulton's budget, which also includes a $719 million general fund, also provides funding for county programs, including:

• $4 million behavioral health services, including $620,000 for Grady Hospital to increase capacity at its Medication-Assisted Treatment Clinic for opioid addiction; and expansion of core behavioral health services.
• $1.1 million for expansion of the Pre-Arrest Diversion Program.
• $3.4 million for Senior Services, as well as $2 million for facility upgrades to senior centers.
• $1.5 million for public health services, including enhanced resources for HIV/AIDS testing and treatment.
• $2 million for youth programming in the Department of Community Services.
• $1.3 million for arts programming, including $300,000 for the Johns Creek Arts Center, $250,000 for the National Black Arts Festival, increases to the Living Out Loud Senior Arts Initiative, and increases to the Contracts for Services Program.
• $5.7 million for the Justice Reinvestment Investment, in addition to $2 million to assist the Fulton County District Attorney and Solicitor General offices reduce caseloads in an effort to comply with American Bar Association.
• $420,000 for the Juvenile Court for a Youth Crime Prevention Program.
• $250,000 for a feasibility study for an updated Fulton County Animal Shelter.
• $1.3 million for security improvements, including equipment and personnel, as well as $1 million for Continuity of Operations and $600,000 for Emergency Management personnel and operations.
• $600,000 for expansion of digital library materials.
• $500,000 for facilities updates for the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
• $2.4 million for economic development and workforce development activities, including $1 million for workforce development at Fort McPherson, expanded industry relations programs, film outreach and more.
• $1.5 million for cybersecurity updates and $4.1 million for updated computers, software and hardware.
• $3.2 million for continued updates in technology to support ongoing improvements to the property tax system.

The 2019 general fund budget is based on a reduction in the millage rate and a "slight reallocation of resources across departments and agencies in order to provide resources to the priorities outlined by the Board," the county said.

At least one county commissioner, Bob Ellis of Milton, is criticizing the budget adopted by his colleagues. Calling the 2019 budget an "outright embarrassment," Ellis said the budget wiped out reserves for elections equipment and took money from public safety to pay for "pet projects."

Some of those initiative Ellis takes issue with include promoting the film industry in Fulton County, a $50,000 travel budget for each commissioner, Fulton County government TV's equipment, museum funding and paying for senior citizens to take trips to the College Football Hall of Fame.

All of these additions, Ellis said, were added during the 11th hour "after workshops, after community meetings and with no debate about their usefulness or potential impact."

"Another loss for taxpayers and just plain bad governance and lack of transparency in Fulton County," he said in a Facebook post.

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