County to Begin Work on New Budget Soon

The budget committee of the county commission will soon begin work on the 2017-18 fiscal year budget.
During Monday night’s monthly meeting, County Mayor Tim Stribling updated the commission on how much property tax revenue the county is expected to generate in the next fiscal year based upon assessments and the current property tax rate
“Assessments based upon estimated valuations of the property in DeKalb County are currently at $481, 473, 214 including industrial, commercial, residential, farm, agriculture, public utilities. The full value of a penny (1 cent of the property tax rate) is $48,147
“We will start on the budget figuring to receive $45, 147 per penny based on 93.77% collections and anything collected over 93.77% will be spread out over the various departments,” said Stribling.
The current property tax rate of $1.8335 breaks down as follows:
County General: .9535 cents
Schools: 61 cents
Debt Service: 12 cents
Road Department: 4 cents
Capital Projects Fund: 11 cents.
In other business, County Mayor Stribling gave a Trustee’s Report on behalf of Sean Driver who was unable to attend the meeting. “People were asking how collections were going on property taxes. As of March 23, 2017 the Trustee’s Office had collected 91.31% of the property taxes owed for 2016. In a comparison, one year ago on the same date the county had collected 92.68%,” said Stribling.
Four members of the DeKalb County Beer Board were appointed to an established term by the county commission.
The four members are Jim Stagi in the 1st district, Edward Frazier in the 3rd district, Rhonda Caplinger in the 5th district, and Johnny King in the 7th district.
Names of each appointee were placed in nomination by the county commissioners in their districts and then voted on by the entire county commission
Last year the commission voted to set terms for members of the beer board. All seven members serve as appointees and the terms are staggered with the 1st, 3rd, 5th, & 7th district positions being appointed in odd years. The 2nd, 4th, & 6th district seats are filled in even years. The beer board is to re-organize (name officers) every year.
In March last year Myron Rhody in the 2nd district, Robert Rowe in the 4th district and Leonard Dickens in the 6th district were appointed. Each term is for two years effective in April.
In other business, Joy Whitman was named to replace Danny Cowan as judicial commissioner. Cowan recently resigned effective April 17. The county’s judicial committee recommended Whitman for the position.
The county has three judicial commissioners including Whitman, Richard Jennings, and Tammy Ashburn.
Judicial commissioners are responsible for the issuance of criminal arrest warrants upon finding probable cause.