09.17 Ledger 01 - Index of - The Cherokee Ledger-News

2 THE CHEROKEE LEDGER-NEWS NEWS SEPTEMBER 17, 2008
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■■■
Ball Ground property taxes drop
City council maintains
balanced budget
BY CONSTANCE COOPER
constancecooper@ledgernews.com
Mayor Rick Roberts credits Ball
Ground’s slow growth and conservative
approach to spending as
keeping the city on good financial
footing during tough economic
times. During its Sept. 11 meeting,
the Ball Ground City Council
unanimously voted to keep the
city’s millage rate at 5.121 mills.
Because property assessments
in Ball Ground lowered slightly in
2008, the millage
freeze amounts to a
property tax decrease
of .39 percent. The total
drop in Ball
Ground property values
comes to $218,738
among all of the city’s
homes. City Manager
Eric Wilmarth estimates
that Ball
Ground has 1,100 residents.
Ball Ground is able to lower its
property taxes and still maintain a
balanced budget while Woodstock
is raising millage rates and Canton
is facing budget shortfalls.
During the real estate boom of the
late 1990s and early 2000s, Ball
Ground grew much slower than
the municipalities to the south of
it.
As fuel prices have risen and re-
al estate development in Cherokee $50,000 in matching city funds, on
County has slowed to a near-stand- a downtown streetscape project.
still, Ball Ground has found itself The project, which will be similar
in a better position than other to Canton’s streetscape program,
Cherokee municipalities for deal- will result in brick sidewalks, decing
with the economic downturn, orative streetlamps and benches
according to Roberts.
in downtown Ball Ground;
“We’re not hurting as much as ■ affirmed that Ball Ground’s cit-
we would’ve been if we’d dependizens will vote on serving liquor by
ed on developer-paid fees to oper- the drink in the city’s restaurants
ate government,” he said.
and bars during the Nov. 4 election.
Councilman Ashley Holcomb The council will add a second ref-
calls Ball Ground’s slower growth erendum on serving liquor by the
a “blessing in disguise.”
drink on Sundays;
Roberts noted that other munic- ■ heard from Councilman Frank
ipalities relied on development Homiller, in his capacity as Down-
revenues to operate government town Development Authority
and found themselves in a difficult (DDA) manager, on the DDA’s pro-
position when development posed purchase of the old city hall
slowed.
building, at a cost of
“So many times,
$1, from the city. The
your expenditures
DDA plans to take out
don’t dry up with rev-
a bank loan in the
enues,” he said.
amount of $40,000-
In hindsight,
$50,000 to renovate
Roberts is grateful
the building and to
that during the real
lease it to a business
estate boom develop-
to create revenue for
Holcomb ers were not as inter- Homiller the DDA. The council Roberts
ested in Ball Ground
previously discussed
as they were in other Cherokee giving the building to the Upper
cities.
Etowah River Alliance for use as
Roberts also credits the city’s office space. Although the council
conservative approach to spend- is interested in seeing the old city
ing as keeping Ball Ground on hall renovated, the city ultimately
good economic footing.
is responsible for any bank loan
“We have a very good finance of- the DDA takes out. The council
ficer,” Roberts said. “He’s conser- tabled the decision pending furvative
and accurate …. I’m a ther information from the DDA on
banker, so my background is in fi- renovation costs and prospective
nancial accounting. We probably tenants;
have a little more success at budg- ■ approved resolution to apply
eting because of a little extra effort for a $50,000 state grant for beauti-
to stick to the budget.”
fication of I-575 Exit 27 at Howell
The mayor contends that Ball Bridge Road;
Ground’s slow growth and conser- ■ approved participation, with
vative approach to spending have Cherokee County, in the U.S. De-
gone hand-in-hand. As developpartment of Housing and Urban
ment pushed
Development
northward from
Atlanta through ‘We’re not hurting as much
Community Development
Block
Cherokee County,
builders be- as we would’ve been if
Grant (CDBG)
Program. Ball
came interested
in Ball Ground we’d depended on
Ground will use
these funds for
during the later
years of the real developer-paid fees to
improvements to
its community
estate boom.
But, because
Ball Ground had
operate government.’
center;
■ named Sept.
14-21 Firefighters
“done without
for so long,”
Roberts said
Rick Roberts
Ball Ground mayor
Appreciation
Week in the city
of Ball Ground
that the city’s
and presented
government was careful to spend Ball Ground’s volunteer fire de-
revenue from these late-boom department with a certificate of apvelopments
wisely.
preciation;
In other business, the council: ■ observed a moment of silence
■ approved spending a $200,000 in honor of the Sept. 11 attacks on
Georgia Department of Trans- the World Trade Center and the
portation grant, obtained with Pentagon.
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