By Rebecca Gaunt

The proposed budget for the City of Kennesaw in fiscal year 2025 comes with a tax increase of 8.83% for maintenance and operations (M&O) and 7.45% for bond over the rollback millage rate.

The recommended budget is $31,091,996, an increase of about 5% from last year, and prioritizes five areas based on feedback from a community survey: flow of traffic and congestion management, street maintenance, quality of police services, enforcement of city codes and ordinances, and parks and recreation facilities and programs. 

“In the amount of money that we have put into maintenance and city streets and traffic congestion, it’s over $15 million just in the past few years,” City Manager Jeff Drobney told the City Council earlier this month.

Nearly $3.2 million out of the new budget is allocated to additional road maintenance. An additional $5 million from federal grants will go toward road, sidewalk, and drainage maintenance.

The budget assumes maintaining the 7.75 mill rate, but a rise in property values means the city will collect more in property taxes than in fiscal year 2024. The city rolled back the rate in 2023 from 8 mills to 7.75.

Drobney noted that in most cases, residents with the floating homestead exemption will not see an increase.

If approved, 49% of the budget would go toward the police department, code enforcement, and parks. Nearly $10 million is allotted for police and $3.76 million for park services.

It also includes a 3% cost of living adjustment for city staff and for $1,096,870 to go toward the reserve fund.

Five new job positions are included: recreation division manager in the parks department, deputy clerk for the court, public safety ambassador and public safety ambassador supervisor for the police department, and an accounting specialist in the finance department.

It’s possible to view the budget presentation on the city’s Facebook page and read the budget proposal on the city’s website.

The public has three opportunities to provide feedback on the proposed increase:  July 29 at 6 p.m. and Aug. 5 at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.  The hearings will take place in Council Chambers at City hall at 2529 J.O. Stephenson Ave.

Rebecca Gaunt earned a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in education from Oglethorpe University. After teaching elementary school for several years, she returned to writing. She lives in Marietta with her husband, son, two cats, and a dog. In her spare time, she loves to read, binge Netflix and travel.