Fulton Commissioner Robb Pitts defends $572 million budget, opposes legislation to retool government

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Dist.2 At-Large Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts pitched his case Thursdaynight to the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods against legislation presentlybefore the General Assembly that would change the structure of the commission,double the homestead exemption in the county and would cap the millage rate fortwo years.

Fulton Commissioner Robb Pitts speaks
to Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods

Meanwhile,earlier in the day, Statelawmakers got an earful dozens of Fulton residents, employees and electedofficials who packed a hearing room at the state Capitol, where the county’slegislative delegation took testimony on the bills that would curtail propertytaxes, reshuffle county commission districts and make it easier to fire countyemployees.
The hearing highlightedlong-standing tensions between the county’s largely white north and its mostlyminority south. Republican lawmakers have long sought to remake a countygovernment they see as bloated.
Pittsmost certainly let the Buckhead Council of Neighborhood members know hisfeelings about those pieces of legislation, but he also talked about the 2013 FultonCounty general fund budget which was passed by a 5-2 vote, Pitts said, and hevoted against it for a few reasons, including employee pay. 

“We’re still, in my opinion, a little top-heavyin middle to upper management and up. Of approximately 5,000 employees inFulton County, only three received raises,” Pitts said at the BCN’s monthlymeeting at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Buckhead. “Reality is ouremployees, who deliver services on a daily basis, have not had raises inprobably six years. It’s just not the right thing to do.” 
He said the three employees who did receive raises work forthe commissioners.

Pitts explains his opposition to pieces of
proposed legislation that would retool
the Fulton County government. 

But he explained that the budget that was passed does includefunding that will provide that library hours will not be cut, the arts budgetwas restored and Grady Hospital got $50 million.  However, the $17 million a year that thecounty pays on debt service for Grady Hospital was delayed until next year.

One of the pieces of legislation that he and almost all of the commissionersare opposed to would increase homesteadexemptions in Fulton County from $30,000 to $60,000. 

“This will impact everybody,” Pitts told thegroup. “Right now, Fulton County has the highest homestead exemption in thestate of Georgia. As a homeowner, you say, ‘Man that is great for us.’  But what is the impact on the countygovernment? Devastating!” Pitts said. “It would mean a loss of approximately$50 million over two years for services” covered by general fund money.

Pitts said the legislation also calls for a capon the millage rate, “which would also negatively affect general fund services.” He explained that Fulton has the lowest taxrate of metro Atlanta counties and no tax increase in a dozen years.

“We’d have to close libraries, take another $5million or so from Grady [Memorial] Hospital. It would be devastating for them.What happens when they can’t accommodate all of the people?” 
Pitts, who lives in the Chastain Park area of Buckhead, saidthe premise of these bills is that “Fulton County is bloated, dysfunctional andthe taxes are too high.” He said the county has cut 1,000 employees since newcities have been formed.
He said another premise is that “If we had a board ofcommissioners made up of a majority from the northside we will have bettergovernment.” He refuted that and suggested the problem lies with the factvoters only cast votes for three  of theseven commissioners—the one that represents their district, the at-large commissionchairman and the other at-large elected commissioner, which is the post Pittsholds.
The proposed legislation would reconfigure the commissionstructure, eliminating his at-large seat and creating a sixth commission districtin north Fulton.

Pitts responds to questions from members
of the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods

What Pitts said should be done is that all voters in thecounty vote on the entire slate of commissioners, eliminating district voting.  “The focus should be nonpartisan,” he added.
Pitts said he fears the package of legislation may passbecause for the first time the Fulton Senate Delagation is made up of sevenRepublicans and six Democrats and House Delegation is made up of 13 Republicansand 12 Democrats. The northern part of the county is more heavily Republican.

Doubting Pitts’ viewpoint, Glenn Delk, whorepresents the Hiistoric Brookhaven neighborhood within Buckhead, said he wantsto hear someone on the proponent side of the legislation speak to the BCN.  

Challenging a need for a county budget that isalmost $582 million, Delk asked, “How much government can we afford? The peopleare going to have to decide how much government we can afford,” Delk said. 
Delk could not understand how, with the significant reduction of people now living in theunincorporated county area (following the incorporation of several new cities)only 1,000 county employees positions have been cut and the budget has not beensignificantly reduced.

Pitts responded, “If we can cut [the budget],show me where we can cut.”