$13.4M Budget Approved By Dade County Commissioners

By REBECCA HAZEN
News Editor

The Dade County Board of Commissioners approved the county’s 2023 fiscal year budget during a second public hearing on Thursday, June 23.

A first public hearing was June 26 to review the proposed budget for the first time and provided an opportunity for county department officials to speak to the Commission.

The approved budget total is $13,415,000, which is an increase of 2.06 percent from this year’s budget of $13,144,000. The budget was approved without any changes from the first public hearing.

In the budget General Government was allocated $3,301,300, Public Safety was allocated $7,143,600, Public Works was allotted $1,674,500, Health and Welfare was allotted $854,500 and Culture and Recreation was allocated $441,100.

During the public hearing, the Commissioners reminded the community that the budget included a seven percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the county’s employees.

“I would have liked to have seen a 10 percent increase myself, but I don’t want to raise the millage rate. I’d like to look into giving maybe three more percent next year, to give the 10 percent,” Commissioner Phillip Hartline said.

“Seven percent is the largest COLA that I can remember us giving. Other counties like Walker and Chattooga didn’t present a COLA at all. Walker gave a one-time $1,000 bonus in April and they will give another $1,000 in December. Chattooga County didn’t even do that,” County Executive Ted Rumley said.

“I appreciate all the departments, and them getting all their numbers together and helping us in all of the meetings,” Commissioner Melissa C. Bradford said.

The budget can be found on the county’s website, dadecounty-ga.gov, by clicking on “Government” and then “FY-2023 Budget Dade County Georgia.”