DALTON, Ga. — Whitfield County’s proposed 2019 general fund budget contains a $2.2 million surplus, and county resident Jevin Jensen wants members of the Board of Commissioners to consider returning at least part of that money to the taxpayers.

“For the last three years including this year, the county has run a minimum of $6.2 million in (total) surplus, and it could go over $7 million, according to their financial person,” Jensen said Monday at a hearing on the proposed budget. “And they are looking at running a surplus again next year. I’m all for surpluses, but when it gets that large, I think it means that our citizens are being overtaxed. Can we not start giving at least a little of that back?”

The county would end 2019 with a $23.5 million fund balance under the projections in the proposed budget.

Jensen said he’d like to see commissioners cut the property tax rate when they set it next fall.

Board Chairman Lynn Laughter noted that in the past the county has had to borrow money at the end of the year to cover costs before property tax funds come in. She said building up the fund balance will help the county have the money on hand to cover those costs and avoid the interest costs of borrowing that money.

Commissioner Harold Brooker agreed.

“It’s good to have a cushion,” he said. “We don’t anticipate raising taxes in this budget.”

But Commissioner Roger Crossen said Jensen made a good point.

“We don’t want to borrow money. That’s why we’ve been doing that (running surpluses),” he said. “We might be at the point where we don’t have to do that anymore and can maybe look at cutting taxes.”

Commissioner Barry Robbins agreed it could be time to consider tax cuts.

The proposed budget calls for general fund spending of $46.9 million, up from $46.8 million in the amended 2018 budget. Projected actual spending in 2018 is $46.1 million.

The line item with the largest increase in dollar terms is sheriff’s office enforcement and support services, which would rise to $7.78 million from $7.422 million. That’s a 4.84 percent increase.

“There was a total of $246,900 increase in salaries and benefits,” said sheriff’s office Capt. Paul Woods. “This was due to adding additional school resource officers (SROs) within our middle schools of Whitfield County and an increase in health insurance costs.”

The number of SROs has increased to eight from five.

During the school year, the school system covers 100 percent of the salary and overtime of the officers as well as contributing 35 percent of their benefits covered by the county. The deputies serve in the patrol division when school is out and the county picks up their pay.  

Woods said the remaining part of the department’s funding increase is for maintenance and storage fees for the sheriff’s office’s new body cameras.

The budget would cut funding for the Board of Elections to $333,040 from $372,700. 2019 is not an election year for the county, so there should be fewer costs.

Commissioners are expected to vote on the budget at their Dec. 10 meeting.

A copy of the proposed budget is available for public inspection on the county’s website at www.whitfieldcountyga.com and in the commissioners’ office, 301 W. Crawford St.