While You're Waiting for Santa, Political Grinches are After Your Wallet

Dec 02, 2022

Approving a budget is THE most significant thing a government does. While the holiday season is here, and I know everyone (including me) has a lot of things to do, paying attention to this is worth your time. It determines the kind of community we live in during ALL seasons, and your financial burden going forward. Every extra dollar you pay in taxes (that the City will likely waste anyway) is one less dollar for you to spend on your holidays, or anything else.

Government budgets tend to move in one direction - UP. I have been monitoring this government since 2019. In that time, the annual budget has increased by $𝟭𝟭,𝟰𝟴𝟱,𝟳𝟳𝟬 (and that's not counting the additional $𝟯,𝟵𝟮𝟰,𝟳𝟰𝟴 increase they are proposing for 2023).

Almost no one was there while this happened. Former Councilman Mike Sullivan, who led a program funded by tax dollars and whose budget tended to increase during that time, came in each year to sing their praises. They've had a former employee come in. But I'm usually the only person to show up who doesn't have a vested interest in seeing the City of Sugar Hill take and spend more money from residents.

Your elected officials treated the public hearings like a mere formality and went on to pass their budget increases in a largely empty room.

Everybody was busy with the holidays, and didn't think it mattered. But these expensive budgets and the disrespectful attitudes of the politicians who consistently and thoughtlessly vote for them will last long after the decorations come down. And like Christmas, they'll be right back next year.

Your voice makes a bigger difference than you think. If it didn't matter, they could get this budget ready earlier and have public hearings before the holidays. They're hiding from you for a reason. Don't let them.

May be an image of text that says 'Sugar Hill City of Sugar Hill Budget Fiscal Year: 2019 GENERAL Department MAYOR COUNCIL ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PUBLIC SAFETY STREET LANDFILL CEMETERY RECREATION CULTURAL THEATRE 2019 Approved 500 49, 800 6,908,768 70,700 175,000 1,620,200 55,000 21,200 1,547,760 76,500 INVOLVEMENT PLANNING DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 919,718 573,575 $13,597,366.00 OTHER FUNDS 320 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FUND 506 STORMWATER FUND 515 GAS FUND 555 GOLF FUND 557 CENTER MIXED-USE FUND 745 MUNICIPAL COURT 800 DDA OPERATIONS 800 DDA E DEBT SERVICE Approved 12,225,803 956,000 7,796,700 7,796 1,139,710 BUDGET TOTAL: 9,500 110,025 3,176,048 $25,773,786.00 $39,371,152.00'

May be an image of text that says 'Sugar Hill APPROVED City of Sugar Hill Budget Summary Fiscal ear: 2022 2022 Approved GENERAL FUND Department MAYOR COUNCIL ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES NEW DEPARTMENT SAFETY 276,100 1,781,110 CEMETERY RFCREATION CULTURAL RESOURCES/COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EAGLE THEATER PLANNING DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 52,565 544,300 73,000 432,790 916,015 946,345 543,275 $15,338,598 2022 Approved OTHER FUNDS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET FUND AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUND 320 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FUND FUND GOLF FUND STORMWATER FUND 745 MUNICIPAL COURT FUND 800 DDA OPERATIONS FUND 800 FUND 800 DDADEB DEBT SERVICE FUND 801 DDA CENTER MIXED-USE 13,857,500 1,378,215 1,045 8,900 914,050 200,000 TOTAL: 750,500 $34,821,324 $50,159,922'