Friday, May 15, 2009

Taxes in Athens to Go Up...


Taxes are going up in Athens this year, at least that seems to be the case.

Athens has taken the following measures to cut costs, but the article made it sound like a property tax hike is unavoidable.

► Not giving raises to the county's 1,500 employees, saving $3.8 million.
► Eliminating six positions.
► Delaying replacing old police cars, saving $323,000.
► Cutting arts, sports and youth programs, saving $176,000.
► Stopping mowing the right-of-way and maintaining traffic signals on state-owned roads like Milledge Avenue, Broad Street and Lexington Road, saving $175,000.
► Reducing bus frequency along Hawthorne Avenue, saving $158,000.
► Eliminating The Link, an on-demand van service, saving $54,000.
► Raising adult bus fares by 25 cents, generating about $375,000.
► Charging a convenience fee to people who pay their taxes with credit cards, generating $42,000.
► Raising the charge for a copy of a car accident report from $1 to $2 or $5, generating $40,000 to $160,000.
► Raising the business occupational tax 9 percent, generating $115,000.
► Raising the cost of a license to sell alcohol, generating $150,000.

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