Interested in digging deep into Decatur’s budgeting process?  Clear your calendar for tomorrow night…

Community Budget Gathering Tomorrow
DATE: Tuesday, May 20
TIME: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Decatur City Hall, 509 N. McDonough St.

The City of Decatur is hosting another Community Budget Gathering on Tuesday, May 20 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Decatur City Hall, 509 N. McDonough St. Join Budget Manager Meredith Roark, Assistant City Manager Andrea Arnold and others interested in learning about the City’s budget process.

This is your chance to find out how the budget process works and give your input. If you missed the first Community Budget Gathering back in April, don’t worry. Participation then is not required to attend tomorrow evening’s meeting. Sign up today with Meredith, Meredith.Roark@decaturga.com or call 404-370-4102, if you think you’ll be attending.

Graphic courtesy of the City of Decatur

The City of Decatur sends along this announcement/reminder…

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Tonight

Decatur Recreation Center, 231 Sycamore St.

Stop by the Decatur Recreation Center between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. tonight for the second annual budget expo. Similar to an open house, the budget expo will feature items included in the proposed budget and give participants an opportunity to share their thoughts and comments regarding the budget with staff. You’ll also have the opportunity to play Budget Bingo and listen to live music from Michael Magno.

So come on out and chat with staff, see some cool things and maybe win a prize or two.

Among the items on tomorrow night’s Decatur City Commission meeting, giving up the city’s interest in the city’s elementary schools so CSD can use the schools as collateral to secure loans through the Georgia Municipal Association to expand Decatur High and Renfroe Middle School.

Decaturish has the details and background…

Under the proposed financing agreement, CSD would transfer title for Clairemont, Glennwood and Oakhurst Elementary Schools to the Georgia Municipal Association. GMA would then sign a lease with the city school system. This lease agreement will be the basis for borrowing $17.5 million to pay CSD’s expansion. Once the school system repays the loans, ownership reverts back to the school system. If CSD defaults on its debt, it could lose ownership of the schools.

Whenever HOST money is brought up, no one says much.  I think it’s mostly because it’s such a messy ball of red tape and “complicated” calculations that for most it’s just not worth the time trying to understand.  But for those who have enjoyed following the HOST litigation with the county over the last decade or so, here’s an interesting little epilogue.

Reporter Newspapers had a report last week (h/t Decaturish) stating that another effect of adding new cities in DeKalb County would mean smaller HOST allocations for existing cities.  Why?  Chalk it up to that “complicated formula that includes the value of the area’s tax base and the services it receives from DeKalb County.”  So there you have it.

According to the article, last year Decatur received $3,729,679, the third largest amount of HOST money behind Dunwoody and Brookhaven.  Previous year’s allocations had been used to partially fund the renovation of the Rec Center and there was talk of using it to repair sidewalks, etc.

So there you have it.  DeKalb cities lost the long lawsuit vs. the county about unpaid HOST money a couple years back and now it seems the current allocation may soon become smaller.

Onto the City’s future goals found in the Budget Narrative under Principle C of the 2010 Strategic Plan – Serve as Good Stewards of the Environment and Community Resources…

• Public Works Facility construction finalized (Task 11B, 12D)

• Beacon Municipal Complex construction begins (Task 11B, 12D)

• Beacon Muncipal storm sewer improvements begin (Task 13B)

• Offer incentives for home energy efficiency improvements (Task 12A)

• Install electric vehicle charging stations on city property (Task 12G)

• Create comprehensive policy for installing recycling bins in public spaces (Task 12A)

• Launch a green restaurant certification program (Task 13C)

• Research options for including sustainability in the Unified Land Development Ordinance (Task 12B)