Demorest The Hear! ofHabersham Demorest City Council Public Hearing Tuesday, October 22, 2024 . 6:00P.M.  Demorest Municipal Conference Center . 250. Alabama St Demorest, GA. 30535  ATTENDEES:  Shawn Allen, Councilman Donnie Bennett, Councilman Jerry Harkness, Mayor Jimmy Davis, Councilman  Andrew Ferguson, Councilman Megan Chastain, City Clerk Thomas Mitchell, City Attorney Mark Musselwhite, City Manager  The October 22, 2024 Special Called Public Hearing was held ini the Demorest Municipal Conference  Center located at 250 Alabama Street.  1. INVOCATION 2. CALL TO ORDER  Mayor Harkness opened the meeting by leading in prayer. Mayor Harkness called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.  3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA  Mayor Harkness called for a motion to approve the agenda as presented. The motion was made by ACTION: The motion to approve the agenda as presented was unanimously approved (4-0).  Councilman Allen and was seconded by Councilman Ferguson.  4. PROMOTION OF STEVEN SQUIRES 5. PUBLIC HEARING FOR 2025 BUDGET  Chief Chastain announced the promotion of Steven Squires to Sergeant.  Mayor Harkness announced the following: The Mayor and Council oft the City of Demorest shall conduct public hearings regarding the proposed fiscal year 2024 budget for the City of Demorest on October 15 at 5:00 p.m. and October 22, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at the Demorest Municipal Conference Center, 250 Alabama Street, Demorest, Georgia. A draft oft the proposed budget is available for inspection and review at City Hall, 250 Alabama Street, Demorest, Georgia. Any person wishing to be heard on the budget may appear and be heard during the public hearings. (OCGA 36-81-5). Harkness opened the public hearing. The budget presented has a millage rate of7.16. Amy York (Northridge Subdivision) and Marie Evans (Long Street) questioned at few items on the proposed 2025 budget. Many items on1 the proposed 2025 budget were addressed, questions were answered, and comments were made. Councilman Davis indicated he would like to add an  1Page    additional $87,000 (a year for five years) to the fire budget to finance a mini pumper truck. Mayor Harkness closed the public hearing and called for a motion. Councilman Davis made a motion to add an additional $87,000 to the proposed 2025 budget toi finance a mini pumper truck. Motion failed due to al lack of a second. Councilman Allen made a motion to move forward with the budget as ACTION: The motion to move, forward with the budget as presented was unanimously approved (3-1  presented and was seconded by Councilman Bennett.  Davis).  6. PUBLIC HEARING FOR 2024 MILLAGE RATE  Mayor Harkness announced the following: The Demorest City Council has tentatively adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 30.21% percent. All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing on this taxi increase to be held at Demorest Municipal Conference Center, 250 Alabama Street, Demorest, Georgia on October 22, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. Times and dates of additional public hearings are as follows: October 15, 2024 at 12:00 p.m., October 15 at 5:00 p.m. and October 22, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. also located in the Demorest Municipal Conference Center. This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 7.16 mills, an increase of 1.661 mill. Without this tentative increase, the millage rate will be no more than 5.499 mills. The proposed tax increase for al homestead property with a fair market value of $175,0001 is approximately $102.92 and the proposed tax increase for nonhomestead property with at fair market value of $175,000is is approximately $116.27. Harkness opened the public hearing. Mr. Musselwhite is recommending a millage rate of7.16. The city will collect $471,317. Marie Evans (Long Street) commented on the increase of fair market value and taxi increase. Evans stated that citizens were being taxed on an unrealized gain. She indicated she was on a budget like many others and the city was killing her budget. Mayor Harkness closed the public hearing and called for a motion. A motion to move forward with the 7.16 millage rate was made by Councilman Ferguson and was seconded by ACTION: The motion to move, forward with 7.16 millage rate was unanimously approved (4-0).  Councilman Allen.  7. CONSIDERATION OF N.C. FIREFIGHTER HELP REQUEST  Chief Scheuerer is requesting to donate five or six, twelve- to fifteen-year-old expired turn out gear and twenty sections of thirty-year-old hose that have no value and cannot be used to departments in NCthat was hit by the storm. A motion was made by Councilman Allen to surplus the items ACTION: The motion to: surplus the items mentioned by Chief Scheuerer was unanimously approved  mentioned by Chief Scheuerer and was seconded by Councilman Davis.  (4-0). 8. ADJOURN  Ar motion to adjourn was made by Councilman Davis and was: seconded by Councilman Bennett. The  motion was unanimously approved. The meetingadjourned at 7:40 p.m.  2Page    Mayor of Démorest/  SEAL  Demorest City Clerk  3Page