Suwanee OKs $11.8 Million Budget for 2012

Updated 9:52 a.m., June 22, 2011

Suwanee approved its 2012 budget of $11.8 million relatively easily Tuesday night, with City Council passing it with a 5-0 vote. However, the planning was not always routine.

Suwanee City Manager Marty Allen said after the meeting that two factors stood out in budget planning for this fiscal year, which begins July 1.

"We had less data from the county on the tax digest (than in previous years)," Allen said. "We had to project more."

Also, Allen said city officials had to "reverse engineer" to address changes in the insurance premium tax. The city's rapid growth in the past decade (75 percent, per the 2010 Census) means it can charge insurance companies more for doing business in the city. This is expected to add more than $200,000 to city coffers.

The budget also allows for a proposed decrease of 0.5 in the millage rate, to 5.65 mills. City Council will consider that figure at its August meeting.

The budget breaks down to roughly $768 per Suwanee resident; the city's population is 15,355, per the 2010 U.S. Census. The current city budget has grow to $12.2 million since it was initially adopted in 2011.

Also Tuesday, City Council unanimously approved its $24.9 capital improvements budget for 2012-16. Mayor Dave Williams was not present at Tuesday's meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Jace Brooks presided.

The city still is seeing lower revenue from fines and forfeitures, which includes traffic citations. Suwanee projects $977,000 for 2012, below the $1 million it planned for in 2011. City police are unable to use radar or laser to issue speeding citations as a result of sanctions from the services dispute with Gwinnett County.

One figure that remains steady for 2012: revenue from alcoholic beverage taxes, planned at $813,300. Licenses and permits, which includes construction, is projected at $366,820, well below seven-figure estimates in 2007-08.