The Stonecrest City Council voted to adopt the Fiscal Year (FY) 23 budget at its Special Called Meeting on November 14. The balanced budget includes many of the Council’s priorities like improving community enrichment centers such as Browns Mill Recreation Center, park upgrades, and an expanded list of community engagement activities and events.
The budget also highlights the City’s desire to serve residents through a largely in-house staffing model. As a result, the Parks and Recreation Department plans to hire up to 29 additional personnel to oversee day-to-day operations, including landscape, janitorial, aquatics and right of way maintenance.
“The City solicited input from Council, staff, residents, businesses and area stakeholders,” said Mayor Jazzmin Cobble. “The FY 23 budget represents our shared vision of improving the quality of life and enhancing service delivery throughout Stonecrest. It reinforces our plan of implementing measurable investments that strengthen our community and make Stonecrest one of the best cities in the world to live and do business.”
The FY 23 budget contains $9.3 million in capital improvements and special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) projects. In that figure, City officials have allocated more than $200,000 for park and gateway monuments, bridge and streetscape improvements and wayfinding signage. “It was very important that we appropriated these funds to support targeted enhancements that create a sense of place for residents, businesses and visitors,” added Mayor Cobble.
Stonecrest anticipates $15 million
in projected revenue, which will give officials a balanced budget. The City’s top funding sources are general property taxes, franchise fees, and business taxes such as insurance premium and business occupational taxes.
“This balanced budget provides a pivotal roadmap that will guide and shape our city,” said Gia Scruggs, Acting City Manager and Finance Director. “It also showcases the responsible stewardship of our financial resources, as we continue to transition to in-house staff while witnessing a steady increase in projected revenues.”