Rockdale County, Georgia

Public Information Meeting August 5, 2009

General Fund

Description 2009 Budget 2009 Actual as of July 2009

% Expensed

Personal Services & Benefits

$36,938,940 $21,034,107 57%

Purchased & Contract Services

6,974,382 3,622,737 52%

Supplies 4,933,117 2,749,613 56%

Capital Outlay 237,126 86,484 36%

Indirect cost 5,850,601 3,128,194 53%

Total Expenditures

54,934,166 30,621,135 56%

Revenue: 2009 Budget 2009 Actual as of July 2009

% Realized

Taxes $33,666,500 $6,631,462 20%

Licenses and permits

442,000 191,480 43%

Charges for services

3,096,380 1,481,389 48%

Fines and forfeitures

2,515,000 1,418,437 56%

Investment earnings

380,000 88,410 23%

Miscellaneous 365,000 265,451 73%

Other Financing Sources

14,469,286 5,202,473 36%

Total Revenue

54,934,166 15,279,102 28%

HTRG CreditThe State’s Homestead Tax Relief Grant (HTRG) that funded an additional homestead exemption for homeowners for the past several years will not be available this year. Declining state revenues during the current recession means there is no money for the State to fund the tax relief grant to homeowners qualifying for a homestead exemption. This lack of a HTRG credit on the tax bill will mean an increase of $200 to $300 in the amount a homesteader will have to pay on the 2009 tax bill even thoughthe total tax may have not increased from last year. The grant appropriated by the General Assembly and the Governor for the past several years to counties, cities and schools had given tax relief to qualifying homeowners in the form of a credit on their tax bills. According to legislation passed this year (House Bill 143), the grant will only be made available in the future if state revenues grow at least 3% plus the rate of inflation.

HOST CreditFurthermore in Rockdale County, declining local sales tax revenue has impacted the county’s Homestead Option Sales Tax (HOST) collections. In past years this one cent local sales tax funded capital improvements and a 100% rollback credit in the county’s M & O portion of a residential property’s tax bill that was receiving a homestead exemption. Sales tax collections have plummeted over the past two years from $16.1 million in 2006 to $13.6 million in 2008. The amount of 2008 HOST collections required to grant a 100% rollback in 2009 is $16.9 million. Obviously, the HOST revenue falls short of that number by $3.3 million. State law does not allow the county to grant a HOST credit that exceeds the previous year’s HOST sales tax collections. Therefore, homestead properties will note a proportionate decrease in the HOST credit and possibly a corresponding increase in the net tax bill amount due.

Important Notice to Homeowners Regarding 2009 Property Taxes

Current Sales Tax Tax Property Tax Year PercentYear Collections Year HOST Exemption Homestead Variance 2005 $14,661,000 2006 $11,183,000 100% $3,478,000

2006 $16,062,000 2007 $13,541,000 100% $2,521,000

2007 $14,883,000 2008 $14,128,000 100% $755,000

2008 $13,632,000 2009 $13,542,000 80% $90,000$16,927,000 100% -$3,295,000

“Current Year” collections fund the following “Tax Year HOST Exemption”

“Variance” are funds used for Capital Improvements

2008 Homestead Property Tax Bill Standard Homestead Exemption (L1)

$100,000 Fair Market ValueLess 100%

Taxing Assessed Less Net Millage Gross HTRG HOST Net Tax Entity Value Exemption Assessment Rate Tax Credit Balance Credit Due

State 40,000 2,000 38,000 0.25 $9.50 $2.00 $7.50 $7.50County M&O 40,000 15,000 25,000 14.53 $363.25 $116.24 $247.01 $247.01 $0.00County Bond 40,000 0 40,000 0.20 $8.00 $0.00 $8.00 $8.00School M&O 40,000 15,000 25,000 21.00 $525.00 $168.00 $357.00 $357.00School Bond 40,000 0 40,000 0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

$905.75

TOTAL: $372.50

2009 Homestead Property Tax Bill Standard Homestead Exemption (L1)

$100,000 Fair Market ValueLess 80%

Taxing Assessed Less Net Millage Gross HTRG HOST Net Tax Entity Value Exemption Assessment Rate Tax Credit Balance Credit Due

State 40,000 2,000 38,000 0.25 $9.50 $0.00 $9.50 $9.50County M&O 40,000 15,000 25,000 14.53 $363.25 $0.00 $363.25 $290.60 $72.65County Bond 40,000 0 40,000 0.20 $8.00 $0.00 $8.00 $8.00School M&O 40,000 15,000 25,000 21.00 $525.00 $0.00 $525.00 $525.00School Bond 40,000 0 40,000 0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

$905.75

TOTAL: $615.15

Change in County Portion: $72.65

Change in Total Payment: $242.65

2008 Homestead Property Tax Bill Standard Homestead Exemption (L1)

$200,000 Fair Market ValueLess 100%

Taxing Assessed Less Net Millage Gross HTRG HOST Net Tax Entity Value Exemption Assessment Rate Tax Credit Balance Credit Due

State 80,000 2,000 78,000 0.25 $19.50 $2.00 $17.50 $17.50County M&O 80,000 15,000 65,000 14.53 $944.45 $116.24 $828.21 $828.21 $0.00County Bond 80,000 0 80,000 0.20 $16.00 $0.00 $16.00 $16.00School M&O 80,000 15,000 65,000 21.00 $1,365.00 $168.00 $1,197.00 $1,197.00School Bond 80,000 0 80,000 0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

$2,344.95

TOTAL: $1,230.50

2009 Homestead Property Tax Bill Standard Homestead Exemption (L1)

$200,000 Fair Market ValueLess 80%

Taxing Assessed Less Net Millage Gross HTRG HOST Net Tax Entity Value Exemption Assessment Rate Tax Credit Balance Credit Due

State 80,000 2,000 78,000 0.25 $19.50 $0.00 $19.50 $19.50County M&O 80,000 15,000 65,000 14.53 $944.45 $0.00 $944.45 $755.56 $188.89County Bond 80,000 0 80,000 0.20 $16.00 $0.00 $16.00 $16.00School M&O 80,000 15,000 65,000 21.00 $1,365.00 $0.00 $1,365.00 $1,365.00School Bond 80,000 0 80,000 0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

$2,344.95

TOTAL: $1,589.39

Change in County Portion: $188.89

Change in Total Payment: $358.89

Rockdale County, Georgia

Public Information Meeting August 5, 2009