STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) – As mayor and council try to finalize what’s likely to be an $87 million budget, they caution that they’re facing some of the same financial challenges as families in the community.
At the same time, business owners who worry about a tax increase say they’re dealing with those challenges too.
City manager Charles Penny offered an overview of the budget at their meeting Tuesday morning.
It includes a four percent pay increase for city workers. It also adds two police officers and two dispatchers.
Mayor Jonathan McCollar says the city is challenged to keep expenses down, but also maintain services and pay employees at a competitive rate or risk losing them to other communities.
Penny said the budget would require the city to use about 20 percent of its $10 million savings.
He said the city could offset that by looking at a millage increase.
However, he also noted property evaluations in the city had gone up…
