Proposed Gwinnett 2013 Budget Keeps Core Services Despite Major Cuts

Gwinnett Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash formally presented her proposed fiscal year 2013 budget to the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday (November 27). The proposed budget totals $1.3 billion, which is 8.5 percent lower than this year’s $1.43 billion.

Six county residents and business people helped craft the proposed budget by serving on the Chairman’s budget review committee. After hearing presentations from elected officials and department directors, the group studied departmental business plans and revenue projections to make recommendations for the budget.

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The proposed budget preserves core services, maintains necessary reserves and addresses the impact of some legislated changes. It also adjusts for the loss of revenues resulting from a further drop in property values, changes mandated by the consent order that ended the Service Delivery Strategy (SDS) litigation between the County and its cities, and the creation of the new city of Peachtree Corners.

A major challenge for the 2013 budget preparation was the implementation of special service districts, as required by the SDS consent order. Three new service districts for fire, police and development provide services and collect revenues only within certain geographic areas of the County rather than countywide.

For example, the police service district includes unincorporated Gwinnett and the cities that do not have their own police departments. A fourth district, funded through a contract with the County, will provide emergency medical services to residents of incorporated Loganville who live in Gwinnett.

The proposed budget is now available online at gwinnettcounty.com and as a hard copy in the Department of Financial Services office located in the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center (GJAC), 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at GJAC. They invite either oral or written comments about the budget during the hearing or through the county’s website through Monday, Dec. 31.

The Board expects to adopt the 2013 budget on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013.

(Editor's note: this information was provided by Gwinnett County.)

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