City adopts budget and sets millage rate at 5.6

The Lincolnton City Council adopted its FY 2008 General Account and Street Account Budget and set the millage rate at a called meeting held Thursday, October 18.

The $754,200 budget reflects a seven-percent ($52,100) increase over last year's budget of $702,100. However, as a result of growth in the tax digest, the millage rate will remain the same as last year's: 5.6 mills.

"Our budget is both conservative and optimistic," stated Mayor Dwaine Biggerstaff. "We are continuing to rely on sales tax, fees, and so forth as our main sources of revenue instead of property tax and hope these collections will remain steady. At the present time, approximately 23 percent of our budget is funded by property tax."

The 2008 budget includes the purchase of a new garbage truck and raises for city employees.

In other business, the council voted to revise, not renew, the 2004 Lincolnton Lincoln County Water Service Delivery Strategy to clear the way for the city to provide water to the Retreat at Soap Creek.

Located on the McCormick Highway, the Retreat is a 78-acre Planned Unit Development (PUD), featuring 49 waterfront lots and 92 interior lots. It is being developed by Tommy Lee, Dean Antonakos, Donald Payne, and Brian Ramsey.

The revisions to the service delivery map, which show the Retreat as part of the city's water service delivery area, will be forwarded to the county for its approval.

In his comments, Mayor Biggerstaff noted that the city and county will be engaged in negotiations throughout the next year in order to have a new water service delivery strategy in place when the 2004 agreement expires in January of 2009.

In further business, the council voted to sign a lease/purchase agreement with the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) for the purchase of a 2008 Ford pickup for the wastewater treatment plant at a cost of $18,140.

The next regular meeting of the mayor and council will be held Monday, November 5, at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.