From staff reports

WOODSTOCK — The Woodstock City Council is expected to take a vote Monday night on a proposed $30.7 million budget that would go into effect July 1.

The council will have the second reading of the Fiscal Year 2013 budget during its called meeting but is not expected to set the millage rate for the upcoming year.

The proposed budget is up $3.2 million from this year’s budget of $27.5 million.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Chambers at City Center.

The budget for the fiscal year beginning in July is based upon the city absorbing half of the 4.76 percent decline the city saw in its property tax digest.

The other half, according to City Manager Jeff Moon, could be accounted for in a slight millage rate increase, which the council would have to approve.

The city’s millage rate is now 7.29 and staff is recommending the city increase the rate to a “rollback rate” of 7.58 mills.

A house valued at $200,000, with the standard $5,000 exemption pays about $545 in city property taxes under the current rate.

With the new rate, a homeowner who saw an increase in property values would pay roughly $569 in property taxes.

The general fund is projected at $15.1 million, down slightly from the $15.2 million set for the present fiscal year.

Other proposed funds include the water and sewer fund at $9.5 million; $1.5 million for the stormwater fund; $222,125 in hotel/motel tax proceeds; $436,595 in its tax allocation district fund; $585,000 in capital equipment fund; $300,000 in impact fees; $32,555 in its SPLOST II; $555,599 in its SPLOST III account; and $2.5 million in its SPLOST IV account.

The council will conduct a joint work session with the Woodstock Planning Commission to review and discuss the proposed SmartCode, a planning and zoning template based on environmental analysis.

The council also will consider Fiscal Year 2012 budget amendments and review a Georgia class action settlement on hotel-motel taxes.

Several cities, including Rome, filed a class action lawsuit against several companies that allow customers to book hotel rooms online, claiming they were not collecting and distributing the proper amount of hotel/motel taxes to cities under state law.

The companies under a settlement agreement have agreed to start paying what’s owed to the cities to the court.

The court, as part of the class action powers, will send out a notice to all cities, allowing them to opt into the class and receive proceeds, or to opt out.

City Attorney Eldon Basham said he plans to recommend the city opt into the class. The court will then distribute revenue based on the amount of taxes hotels in Woodstock pay.

The council will also:

* Recognize Kimberly Mathews of Jasper, an EMT who rushed to the aid of a CW Matthews Construction Co. employee who was hit by a car last week on Interstate 575;

* Recognize employees who’ve achieved the five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of service mark;

* Recognize Olympic athletes from Woodstock;

* Review an LCI 10-year update;

* Consider approval of a staffing agreement with Staffmark;

* An agreement with GTS to collect delinquent property taxes;