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Commissioner Nancy Jester
“It’s Your Money”
TUCKER Town Hall
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Tucker Town Hall – DeKalb Budget “It’s Your Money”
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Tuesday – 23 February, 2016
7.00pm – 8.30pm Tucker – Reid H. Cofer Library
5234 LaVista Road, Tucker
Commissioner Nancy Jester is hosting a countywide Town Hall for DeKalb County taxpayers to discuss and offer public input to the 2016 DeKalb County Budget and the expected $21 million payment holiday from the refinancing of bonds at low interest rates.
DeKalb County taxpayers will have the opportunity to share their observations on the Budget and offer specific issue recommendations and suggestions for the Budget and how best to utilize the $21 million in anticipated payment savings.
The Pension Legacy Tax
Punitive and Based on False Assumptions
I am writing to alert you to a potential property tax increase coming from the Georgia General Assembly. House Bill 711, sponsored by Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Druid Hills), seeks to add a special tax district to cities formed after 2005. Rep. Oliver believes that newly formed cities owe, what she refers to as, “pension legacy costs”. The notion that these legacy costs exist is false and here’s why.
1. Newly formed cities continue to pay fully into the General Fund and the Fire Fund. Embedded in these funds are the costs for benefits, including pensions for the employees providing these services.
2. Newly formed cities continue to pay fully into the self-sustaining funds of Sanitation and Watershed. Embedded in these funds are the costs for benefits, including pensions for the employees providing these services.
3. DeKalb County lowered the millage rate for the Police Fund (a fund newly formed cities do not pay into) in the 2015 budget.
4. DeKalb County did not reform the pension benefit system until December 2015 – 7 years after the formation of Dunwoody.
5. DeKalb County used unrealistic actuarial assumptions that negatively impacted funding.
If DeKalb County believed there was a crisis in the pension plan, chiefly driven by the new cities no longer paying into the police fund, why would the county lower the police fund millage rate in 2015? If the county believed that the crisis was caused by newly formed cities, why did pension reform not occur until just a few months ago in December of 2015?
House Bill 711 is only directed at newly formed cities. It is punitive, based on false assumptions, and is not congruent with the facts. Make no mistake about it, it is a discriminatory tax aimed at Brookhaven and Dunwoody. It is a bailout that would allow DeKalb County to continue poor fiscal management.
Read the full post – with facts on Understanding DeKalb’s Millage Rate System here: http://ow.ly/YAgSH
Nancy Jester’s Commissioner Call:
Support DeKalb County Firefighters
Over the next three months, Commissioner Jester will ask the community to support one of the six fire stations in District One.
Commissioner Nancy Jester is asking community residents and businesses to show our appreciation for these hard working heroes by helping to stock the pantry at our stations.
Staple food items such as, sugar, salad dressing, seasonings, cereal, snacks, and beverages such as, coffee, tea, sodas, and sports drinks are welcomed.
Children are invited to come see the trucks and equipment.
The next three Nancy Jester Community Calls – Support DeKalb County Fire Fighters:
Saturday, 26 March
9:00am – 11:00am
Fire Station 15
2107 Flightway Drive, Chamblee
Saturday, 23 April
9:00am – 11:00am
Fire Station 19
3253 Mercer University Drive, Chamblee
Saturday, 21 May
9:00am – 11:00am
Fire Station 5
4013 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker
Commissioner in the City
Join Commissioner Nancy Jester at the following City Council meetings across District 1. Commissioner Jester will be in attendance to listen and learn and will be happy to visit with anyone who has a question or needs assistance from her.
Brookhaven
Tuesday, 8 March, 7:00pm
City Hall 4362 Peachtree Rd, Brookhaven
Dunwoody
Monday, 14 March, 6:00pm
City Hall 41 Preimeter Center East Suite 250, Dunwoody
Chamblee
Tuesday, 15 March, 7:30pm
Civic Center 3540 Broad Street, Chamblee
Doraville
Monday, 21 March, 6:30pm
City Hall 3725 Park Avenue, Doraville
Nancy Jester Reports
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BOC Committee of the Whole
16 February
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25 February – Full BOC * Note date change
The Committee of the Whole and Full BOC meetings start at 9:00am. The zoning meeting starts at 6:30pm. All meetings are at the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive in Decatur.
Public Comment occurs at the Full BOC meeting.
Around DeKalb
Nancy Jester at the Dunwoody Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Council Eggs and Issues Legislative Update with Dunwoody Mayor Denis Shortal and Dunwoody City Council Members Pam Tallmadge, Jim Riticher, and Lynn Deutsch.
Thanks to Dunwoody City Council Members John Heneghan, Lynn Deutsch, Terry Nall, Pam Haire Tallmadge and Mayor Shortal for hosting Nnacy Jester at the City of Dunwoody – Government table at the Perimeter Business Alliance luncheon.
Nancy Jester with the our DeKalb County firefighter heroes in Tucker working on the DeKalb County Budget. First responders must be our Budget priority.
Nancy Jester at Taste of Dunwoody with Kristen and Heyward Wescott and Dunwoody Councilman Terry Nall.
Stay in Touch
The Calendar: New at http://www.nancyjester.com we have a new calendar. The icon is on your screen, upper right corner. We will list Commissioner Jester’s public schedule, dates of the DeKalb County Board of Commissioner meetings, and other meetings across DeKalb County.
All the Best,
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Nancy's blog 