Wednesday, January 24, 2024–10:58 p.m.
-Adam Carey, Rome News-Tribune-
This story is possible because of a news-sharing agreement with the Rome News-Tribune. More information can be found at northwestgeorgianews.com
With a number of projects moving forward in 2024, the Floyd County Commission is looking at a possible millage rate increase later this year.
Discussions were extensive concerning the budget, but with the expectation that a number of construction projects will see price increases affecting the bottom line, it’s a strong possibility.
“We’ve got a lot of projects in the works, and budgets are tight right now,” County Manager Jamie McCord said. “But we’ll continue to watch our revenue projections and hope the economy continues upward.”
Because of that, McCord said it’s likely the county will need to increase the millage rate later in the year considering its current financial position.
One factor is that most departments are fully staffed, and the state and county have focused on increasing pay for public sector employees in order to compete with the private sector.
The Floyd County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a $77 million general fund budget for 2024, which is up from last year’s $68 million budget.
In other business, the commission recognized a local elementary student, Harris McElrath, who raised over $1,000 selling hot chocolate during the recent cold spell and donated the proceeds to PAWS, the Floyd County Public Animal Welfare Services.
The commission also approved a special use permit for Extra Special People to build a campus at 1818 Kingston Highway. The nonprofit works with people with disabilities and their families. Commissioner Wright Bagby abstained as he has a family member on their board.
The commission also approved a resolution in support of a federal RAISE Grant application for the long-planned Rome-
Cartersville Development Corridor. The road would provide a direct link between Rome and I-75 while rerouting heavy traffic north of Cartersville.
The project gained new life with an alliance between Floyd and Bartow interests and now the $5 billion SK On/Hyundai electric vehicle battery plant is being added to the list of major industries that will benefit.
The Biden administration recently announced $1.5 billion will be available in the RAISE — Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity — discretionary grant program.
It’s specifically to help communities complete critical transportation projects with significant local or regional impact. Half of the funding will go to projects in rural areas, and half to urban areas.
