It’s beginning to look a lot like
the NEWS
Dec. 13, 2014 Volume 6, Issue 35 rockdalenews.com
CHRISTMAS
Pages 20-21
75 cents
Serving Rockdale County and Conyers
SERVANT
LEADERSHIP Van Ness reflects on eight years representing Rockdale and looks forward to new role
Mitchell to SSU
Salem catcher Peyton Mitchell signs with SSU
Page 17 Haleigh’s Hope cannabis bill
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See full story on page 6
County approves $61.4M budget Reduced budget includes employee raises, CREDC increase By Martin Rand III
mrand@rockdalenews.com
After a month of meetings, budget hearings and debate, the Rockdale Board of Commissioners officially approved a budget for the 2015 year on Tuesday during the board’s voting session. The approved budget for 2015 is $61.4 million, which is $2 million less than County Chairman Richard Oden’s originally proposed budget and about $3 million more than the 2014 budget. The county will use $6.8 million from the general fund to help balance the budget. This will reduce the county’s reserves from $34 million to $27 million. Due to a locally approved ordinance, the county’s reserves cannot drop below $20 million. The proposed capital budget of $2.4 million was reduced to $2.2 million. Post 2 Commissioner JaNice Van Ness attempted to reduce the budget even further by eliminating $70,000 from $1.07 million allotted for the Rockdale County Fire and Rescue, but both Oden and Post 1 Commissioner Oz Nesbitt agreed that the fire department shouldn’t be stripped of their capital dollars. County employees get raise The version of the budget that passed didn’t include the $1.9 million allotment of the initial proposed budget which would
See BUDGET, Page 23