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from an increase in real estate property revenues assuming that the rate remains at $.094 per 100 <br />of assessed value. <br /> <br /> Landfill Operations: <br /> It has been an economic blessing to our community that we have been able to continue to <br />operate the landfill. Staff has provided information to the Council and public on numerous <br />occasions that document the below market rates that we have been charging over a very long <br />period of time. As environmental regulations have increased and the useful life of the landf-ill has <br />decreased, we are now preparing ourselves for its eventual closure around mid-to-late 2007. <br />Once closed, every alternative that we know of is going to cost residential, commercial, and <br />industrial customers considerably more to dispose of their solid waste. To prepare ourselves for <br />this eventuality, I am proposing the following tax and fee increases as a part of my proposed FY <br />'04 budget plan. <br /> <br />Collections Charges: <br /> o Residential: From $7.50 to $8.50 <br /> o Commercial: From $15.50 to $17.00 <br /> o Gate Rate (tipping fee): From $31.70 to $33.00 per ton (does not affect <br /> Henry County government waste disposal) <br /> <br /> Closure Costs: As we move forward to the closure phase of the landfill operations we <br />need to ensure that as much of this cost as possible is paid in cash to avoid any future <br />debt. Toward this end I am recommending that the Meals lax be increased from 4% to <br />5% which is expected to produce $200,000 per year and that this amount be transfer to <br />the Refuse Fund pursuant to City Council's original intent when the Meals Tax was first <br />adopted. As you are aware, all of the revenue produced by the Meals Tax to date has <br />been dedicated entirely to the payment of bonds sold to finance the renovation and <br />repair of our school facilities. <br /> <br />Essential Operating Increase: <br /> <br /> We were fortunate in planning for the FY '04 budget in that several anticipated operating <br />increases were avoided. As a result of the hard work and dedication of the Employee Health <br />Committee, the City's cost of providing health care coverage to our employees will remain the <br />same. As you are aware, concessions had to be made with coverage's and there will be an <br />increase in employee out-of-pocket cost, however, the cost to the tax paying public will not <br />increase. Additionally, other areas that we feared would result in large increases did not <br />materialize, such as liability insurance coverage, etc. <br /> Not withstanding our good fortune in these areas, I do not believe it would be fair or <br />appropriate for us to forget the hard work and dedication of our work force. Our employees <br />have performed admirably over the last year under some very adverse weather conditions and <br />with position vacancies either due to attrition or military service. They also received no pay <br /> <br /> <br />