DOUGHERTY COUNTY, GA -
Dougherty County Commissioners are considering two new budget proposals as they struggle to balance the budget before the end of the month deadline.
Both plans would cut police protection (though not as dramatically) and both would raise taxes, though not as much as initially proposed.
The future of Dougherty County Police, animal control and street lights in the county are still up in the air, Monday, after county commissioners were given two more options to balance the budget.
Option C would increase the property tax rate by 1.5 mils, eliminate animal control and street lights, but would cut only one police officer.
Option D would be a one mil increase, animal control and street lights would still be cut and so would 7 officers.
A recently retired DCP officer says that would be a mistake.
"Please don't be short sighted. If you cut police services, you are going to pay for it in the future," said Jimmy Sexton.
The mother of Dougherty County Officer Cliff Rouse who was killed in the line of duty agrees.
"When you cut your forces that are out there for protection, you have lost what the citizens of your county's of the citizens of your city's needs," Jackie Rouse.
District 6 Commissioner Jack stone proposed yet another option that would raise the tax rate by 2.5 mils and give DCP Officers a raise.
"This is something that needs to be done. We losing our officers to other counties and they're paying more money, in Worth County and Mitchell County and all these other little counties. So if we're going to keep good police officers, we need to get them a raise in some way because they are very vital to this community," said Stone.
Stone says despite tough economic times, that higher tax hike is needed.
"It needs to be done. It should have been done three or four years ago because we have lost some very, very good officers due to pay and it's time to do something about it," said Stone.
A decision has to be made soon.
Commissioners will meet again next Monday, when they'll have to take a final vote on a budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
County commissioners will meet with City of Albany leaders next month to discuss their contract for fire department services, another large expenditure in the county's special Service district fund.
Copyright 2012 WALB. All rights reserved.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 Worldnow and WALB, a Raycom Media Station. 
