Photo by Amber M. Eberly
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By Kristal Dixon
kdixon@cherokeetribune.com
Despite a slump in the economy and declining revenues, Woodstock officials say their city is in "comparatively good shape."
Mayor Donnie Henriques presented his annual State of the City address during the Woodstock City Council meeting Monday night.
Henriques addressed criticisms some residents had voiced over the city's finances.
The city's reserves, he said, recently have declined because of financing of a new waste water treatment plant using a four-year loan from SunTrust Bank, as opposed to a longer-term bond to spread out the annual payments.
The council in 2004 approved $5.6 million in financing through SunTrust for the plant.
The amount of payments, Henriques said, correlates to the decline in reserves. The city now is beginning the process of building the reserves back up in the fiscal year 2009 budget.
Henriques also pointed to the city's reduction of its fiscal year 2008 budget by $2.7 million.
The current budget was set at $30.1 million, which is 8.3 percent less than the fiscal year 2007 budget of $32.9 million. Council members also for this year's budget raised the millage rate from 5.88 mills to 6.53 mills, an 11-percent increase.
A homeowner with a house valued at $200,000 and standard $5,000 exemption, paid about $490 in taxes under the new rate - a $49 increase.
Henriques said some residents continue to overlook this budget reduction and instead point to its millage rate increase as a sign the city in unable to handle its finances.
"As I mentioned in a statement in September, a monkey can balance a budget during solid economic times," he said. "It takes some imagination and strength to do so in depressive times. This council has continually shown the capacity for both."
Henriques also pointed to the hiring in the past year of City Manager Jeff Moon, Chief Financial Officer Henry Bucci, Parks and Recreation Director Preston Pooser and Information Technology Director Jim Moore and the new ideas they have brought with them to prepare Woodstock for the future.
Purchasing the Robert Harris Homes building on Highway 92 for a City Hall annex, he said, will help the city begin building a new City Hall downtown that can better serve its residents.
"This city is committed to maintaining a presence downtown, and we will begin work on our new City Hall project during the first quarter of 2009," he said.
The mayor also updated council members on the efforts to build a new Interstate 575 interchange at Rope Mill Road. Henriques said city officials expect approval the federal government by the end of the first quarter of 2009 to begin right-of-way acquisition, which will be followed by "dirt being turned as early as late 2009."
Henriques ended his address by saying city officials foresaw the tide of an economic downtown and "planned for it."
"Taxpayers are getting their monies worth from this staff and council," he said.
Council members said they were pleased to hear the optimistic news about the city's affairs.
Councilman Bud Leonard said he thought the speech was "right on," adding the city had made excellent progress on various issues "despite the challenges it faced."
Councilman Bob Mueller said he was excited to see the city "stay in the black" and not lay off any employees.
Councilman Chris Casdia said he was glad to hear the mayor reiterate their commitment to keeping City Hall downtown.
"It just makes sense strategically," she said. "This [downtown] is the center of the city."
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He just needs to hold on until Hobgood can give him the city of Canton.