By RICK NOLTE
Staff Writer
A budget totaling $37,992,216 has been proposed for the City of Waycross for Fiscal Year 2023-24.
The figure represents an increase of nearly $3 million over last year’s operating ledger of $34,988,444. The bulk of the increase comes from the approval last fall of the Special Local Option Sales Tax by Waycross and Ware County voters.
The City Commission is scheduled to vote on the proposed budget during its final bi-monthly meeting at 5 p.m. June 20. A public hearing on the proposal was held Tuesday, June 6 prior to the commission’s first meeting of the month with Finance Director Greg Smith presenting the proposal.
A summary of the proposed budget will appear in an advertisement of the Saturday, June 17 edition of The Journal-Herald. A copy also is available for inspection by the public at City Hall.
The budget is the first to show an increase in recent fiscal cycles. The FY 22-23 ledger was more than $1.86 million less than the city operated with in FY 21-22, and that total of $36.754 million was nearly $2 million less than the one for FY 20-21.
Overall, this proposed budget is $2,935,772 greater than last years. The major item in the budget for the coming year totals approximately $12.9 million from city taxes and licenses in a general fund that totals just more than $16 million, or 42 percent of the budget.
This year’s general fund shows an increase of almost $782,000. The next largest revenue generators are $7.21 million from water/sewer service fees and $6.9 million from the 2018 TSPLOST fund.
The five-year SPLOST began April 1, and is budgeted for $3.2 million in the upcoming July 1-to-June 30 ledger. The waste management fund follows at $2.67 million.
The general fund shows an increase of $781,820 and the TSPLOST (2018) of $715,462. Next largest increase is $36,674 in the lodging tax, and $34,000 in water/sewer. There also is a $11,578 hike in the waste management fund.
Deficits are $1.6 million from the SPLOST (2014) and $243,762 from the TSPLOST (2018). There was no change in the Storm Water fund ($750,000), C.C. McCray City Auditorium ($43,000) and Fleet fund ($235,000).
After the budget is approved, commissioners will begin considering the millage rate for 2023-24. Those discussions, along with any action needed, will take place later this month and next before the tax digest is filed with the Georgia Department of Revenue in August.
Last year, the city voted for a rollback of the millage rate at 10.978, which still resulted in added revenue because of higher assessed property values. The rate had been static at 11.876 since 2019.
