Lots on the table for tonight’s City Commission meeting (agenda found here). 

Among the most interesting issues:

1.  City Commission will vote to show support for the annexation of 10 commercial parcels along E. College between the city limits and Sams Crossing, with the understanding that Avondale will annex everything to its west up to Sams Crossing.  (page 42 of the supplemental materials)

This vote represents the first step in the process of bringing these parcels inside the city limits.  Rep. Benfield has agreed to sponsor the legislation before the GA general assembly in two separate bills (one for each city).

Though 10 parcels won’t do much to ease the city’s tax burden, the two cities are in agreement that they both would benefit from giving this strip a little TLC.

2.  Surprisingly, the “Sanitation Fee Schedule” agenda item is some of the most interesting reading the meeting “materials”.  (page 39) Essentially, sanitation fees will probably have to be increased citywide because the market for recyclables has completely evaporated.  Why?  Because the companies that collect them can no to make more off collection – though I wonder what becomes of all of these recyclables if they aren’t used.  Are they just stored somewhere?

So, keep this is mind when you throw something in the recycling.  Plastics, chipboard, cardboard isn’t currently being reused…and could just as easily wind up in a dump.  The best course of action is to minimize all garbage.  That seems to be the impetus behind the city providing a coupon for a free reusable tote with our garbage bags in the near future.

3.  The city is smartly removing the Homestead Exemption from 2009 tax bills in anticipation that the state will not meet its 3% goal (revenue above amount to fund program) to distribute them in 2009.  (page 38)

4.  The Ponce Heights traffic study – incorrectly called Ponce Terrace in the report – doesn’t recommend any action in traffic calming (except restriping crosswalks) until a neighborhood committee is estabilished and its determined there is a need for additional measures. (page 64)

5.  The Glenlake Park overhaul begins soon (late March – early April).  Church St. will be narrowed to one lane during construction to provide parking for tennis court and pool users. (page 57)

Phew!  Lots going on!

The GA House of Reps killed the Sunday alcohol sales bill today, along with the bill that would have doubled the homestead exemption for residents from $2k to $4k.

In terms of the alcohol bill, I’m not all that concerned about it anymore.  After three years of trying to get this bill out of the state house, I’m content with buying all my alcohol on Saturday.  As for the symbolic, “we are not a backwater” argument to passing it…I would like to point out that Connecticut still has the same law on its books.  So, whatever.  Can’t wait to read about it again next year!

As for the Homestead increase…good riddance.  I know lots of people are hurting out there right now, trying to make ends meet for a variety of reasons, but increasing the homestead in a year when all local governments are (hopefully) trying to “readjust” their budgets to this new economy, is just plain mean.  Let’s at least give the locals a little time before we up and tighten the belt on them further. Also as I’ve said before, it sure would be less hypocritical for the state to pass this bill after it had provided its own state tax relief.

In case your interested, on Friday the Georgia Senate voted to kill the Homestead Tax Relief Grant for the coming year.

No big surprise there, right?  The state needs to balance its housing bubble-induced budget, so the $428 million saved should help.  We all pay a couple extra hundred bucks on our property taxes, but hey whatcha gonna do?

However, since most people won’t be thinking “Hey, whatcha gonna do?” when they see they gotta pay hundreds more in property taxes in a crappy economy, the senators at the GA capital are looking for ways to cover their behinds from angry taxpayers.

And who better to hide behind than local governments?!

So, on the same day that the Senate voted to nix HTRG, they also voted to increase the homestead exemption from $2,000 to $4,000, decreasing the amount of tax revenue sent to local governments already struggling to balance their individual budgets.

So, that means your local government will be in the unenviable position of choosing between cutting services and raising taxes right after the state has already done it by eliminating HTRG!  Hooray!

So, when you’re looking to spread the blame this coming year,  make sure to save a little extra for your state legislator.