Dalton council approves freeport tax cuts, effective 2010

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November 17, 2008

Charles Oliver The Dalton Daily Citizen Mon Nov 17, 2008, 07:39 PM EST

The Dalton City Council voted 4-0 Monday night to cut the city’s property tax on some types of inventory 20 percent, effective Jan. 1, 2010.

The move follows Nov. 4 voter approval of freeport inventory tax exemptions for partially finished goods and raw materials, finished goods held by the manufacturer and finished goods stored for shipment out of state. Mayor David Pennington votes only in the event of a tie.

Council members also voted 4-0 to:

• Certify the results of the Nov. 4 special election. In addition to the freeport measures, voters approved a measure that abolishes the 1 mill property tax dedicated to recreation, starting next year.

• Approve two ordinances that transfer responsibility for stormwater enforcement and erosion control to Dalton Utilities from the public works department and the building inspector’s office respectively.

• Approve an amendment to the 2008 budget marking a $1.9 million reduction in expected revenue due to the council cutting property taxes 20 percent earlier this year.

The board took no action on a recommendation from the pension board for a 3 percent 2009 cost-of-living adjustment for retirees. After the meeting, Pennington said the increase could be on the agenda of a future meeting if a council member requests it.

“But at the moment, with the financial results and what is going on in the economy, we decided to take no action,” he said.

The council also heard presentations from state Rep. Roger Williams, R-Dalton, and his wife Joann asking the city to increase its funding for the Dalton-Whitfield Public Library. The city currently provides the library with about $144,000 annually and the county provides it with about $189,000 annually. Joann Williams was speaking as a private citizen.

“Tell me if I am reading this right,” said Pennington. “Our state ranks at the bottom of the nation (in library funding). Our region ranks at the bottom of the state, and our county ranks at the bottom of the region.”

Library director Joe Forsee said that is largely true.

“We are not totally at the bottom of the nation, and we are not totally at the bottom of the state. But we are very close,” said Forsee.

Joann Williams said the library receives $3.61 in local funding per capita, compared to $5.18 per capital in Murray County and a state average of $14.68.

“This is unacceptable,” she said.

Forsee said state funding per capita is about the same for most libraries in Georgia. The difference is local funding.

City Council member Charlie Bethel asked how library funding is typically split between cities and counties in Georgia. Forsee said counties typically pay a larger share.

Pennington invited Joann Williams to meet with him and Board of Commissioners chairman Brian Anderson to discuss library funding.

“This is extremely important to this council,” he said. “We rank 142 out of 159 counties in college graduates. We know we’ve got issues, and those issues could be the fact that out library system is so underfunded compared to other counties.”

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Dalton council approves freeport tax cuts, effective 2010

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