City Wants Property Tax Hike

This was in yesterday's Neighbor.

City to ask for property tax hike to fund police, courts

By Stephanie Siegel

Douglas Neighbor Staff Writer

The Douglasville City Council is planning to ask for a tax increase in a special election Sept. 16.

The increase, if approved, would be a general obligation bond for $17 million to be repaid through property taxes.

The purpose of the bond is to pay for a proposed police headquarters and municipal court building on Fairburn Road.

At Thursday's council work session, James Bell, director of the Douglas County Taxpayers Coalition, said he asked council to move its proposed vote from Sept. 16, to November's general election.

Bell said he reminded the council the General Assembly just passed House Bill 296 to limit special elections on taxes and certain other items to two or three dates a year, to coincide with other elections.

If signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue, the law would take effect in 2010.

"I asked the council to do the right thing and wait a few weeks until November, so that 60 to 70 percent of voters will vote rather than the 5 or 10 percent expected in a special election," Bell said.

"When you ask property owners to increase their taxes, it seems fair to hold the election when the largest number of citizens vote. If we can elect the president of the Untied States in November, we can hold tax votes then also."

But Douglasville City Manager Bill Osborne said a September vote is necessary, because under current law, "the state sets up four times during the year that we can do elections, and that's the first time that we will be ready with everything."