The Tyrone Town Council plans to adopt a budget for fiscal year 2011 at a public hearing that will be held during their regular meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.
The proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1, is set at $3,146,679, with no tax increase expected to town residents.
The council intends to keep the tax millage rate at 2.89 -- where it has been for the past two years, town officials said. However, the budget will see a change this year if it is approved. The proposed budget shows an approximate $106,000 increase from last year due to anticipated health insurance costs and needed capital improvement projects, town officials said.
"We anticipate an increase of up to 15 percent in health premiums for the town," said Tyrone Town Manager Richard Newbern. "This increase is being experienced by cities throughout Georgia."
Newbern said the increase in premium rates is just the nature of the insurance business wherein the costs tend to fluctuate.
The town manager noted the fiscal year budget on the table includes capital improvement projects. With recommendations from staff, the council is looking to earmark $15,000 to address soil erosion problems at Tyrone's Handley Park, while $65,000 has been allotted for paving at the Valleywood Railroad crossing. He emphasized the Georgia DOT is responsible for installing gates, bells and whistles to assist with safety improvements at the crossing. Approximately $61,000 will go to drainage improvements in the town.
"We are breaking out those capital improvement costs rather than absorbing them through our regular maintenance program," Newbern explained.
"We are specifically funding our anticipated capital improvements and funding them separate from our ongoing road and drainage maintenance budget."
In addition to the town's departments receiving a three percent budget reduction to the operations and maintenance program, officials plan to implement other cost-saving efforts that include updating the town's purchasing policy to "ensure we get the most for our tax dollars," Newbern said.
Officials also plan to update the town's code of ordinances this year.
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