The Cartersville City Council will hear the first reading of the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 budget ordinance during their meeting on Thursday afternoon.
This proposed budget will have a 37 million and a half increase from the previous fiscal year. During a presentation given on the budget earlier this month Tom Rhinehart the city’s finance director stated that it was the largest single year increase he had seen in his time with the city.
Some of the larger increases that led to this are 20 million and a half increase to capital expenses from last year and an 11 million dollar increase in the purchase of commodities from last year. This budget will have a second reading on June 15th where the budget can be adopted.
A part of this budget will also be the first reading of an ordinance that will change water and sewer rates for customers of the city. The increase is proposed to be a 2% increase for residential water and sewer rates for customers that fall both inside and out of the city.
To put that increase into numbers it is estimated that for residential customers, the water and sewer rate increase equates to $0.18 per 1,000 gallons used for city residents. The total estimated increase for a residential water and sewer customer is $1.27 per month for 7,000 gallons consumed. If approved after it’s second reading these changes would hit customers on July 1st of this year.
The council will also hear a recommendation for architecture and engineering services for the construction of the new First Station #5. This proposal is for Croft and Associates, who also designed stations 1, 3, and 4. This agreement would be for the design not to exceed $425,000 and is also a budgeted capital expense.
This Cartersville City Council meeting will be played live on WBHFs website and on air at 1450 AM and 100.3 FM starting at 7 p.m.