Is the County Being Robbed?

All those who have heard that your property taxes will have to go up to support this “additional level of government” please raise your hand. And all those who have heard that creating cities in our area will “bankrupt the county” please raise both hands (you’re about to be robbed).

Will our taxes have to go up? NO. Almost all of these taxes are already being collected; the funds will simply go to the local government, rather than the County.  The creation of a city actually brings money INTO the County. Other cities formed in the last few years have found no need to look for additional tax amounts.

The answer to the second point is more complicated: “Will new cities bankrupt the county?”  Start with the answer – NO. The financing of the county is actually not directly related to the cities. It is a management issue. My wife and I have earned money; our combined income has varied significantly in different years.  We spend less when necessary; we spend more when we can. Your budget probably changed when you had a child; sent a child to college; or when a child left to go on their own. (Isn’t that the same as what happens to the County when a City is created?)

Does anyone have a friend or relative who always seems to need money?  (“I got fewer hours this week than I was hoping for”; “I need to fix my car”; “I have to pay an old bill”). Do you feel really sorry for them?

The County government cannot seem to grasp that point. If the requirement for a particular service decreases, costs should decrease in a comparable, if not exact, relationship. The first political game seems to be the scare tactic: “We’ll have to reduce essential services, but keep all of the overhead”. If the total available money goes down, perhaps the county could hire one less PR person for the CEO, or one less friend of the administration. Or perhaps they could decide that one part of the administrative services is not critical, and reduce staff. Or maybe they could go to one less meeting at Jekyll Island. But regardless, it’s not the fault of any city that the County can’t control itself, and can’t adapt to changing circumstances.

Cities have existed in DeKalb County for a long time. The budget of the County for municipal services has been based forever on the level of services it provides to unincorporated areas. Why should the existence of another city change that? If cities bankrupt the County, then why isn’t Decatur a County-killer?  What about Doraville? Are we going to ban Atlanta from the County?

Come on guys! Get real.