Meeting Notes: Smoking Ordinance, Millage Rate

The Stone Mountain City Council met Monday, June 18 for its work session, where the following topics were among those discussed:

Smoking Ordinance

Council member Richard Mailman said that most of the people he's spoken to about a ban "are telling me they don't want us to pass this," he said.

Councilwoman Susan Coletti said she doesn't like cigarette smoke, and doesn't have a problem with restricting smoking in public spaces that belong to the city, but not extending it to residences, for example. "We can't be everyone's guardian angel," she said.

One of the most vocal council members on the issue, Nan Nash, was not feeling well, Mayor Pat Wheeler said, and was not at the meeting. Nash is against a smoking ban.

Ad Valorem Tax

One resident voiced his disapproval of the City of Stone Mountain's tentative adoption of a millage rate that would raise property taxes by 27.77 percent. 

"Let's try something different. It's called less spending," Paul Hollis said.

There will be a public hearing on the tax increase at City Hall, 875 Main Street, on Tuesday, June 26, at 6:30 p.m.; and on Monday, July 9, at 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., also at City Hall.

City manager Barry Amos provided Patch with the following information about the tentative increase: The tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 18.8 mills, an increase of 4.086 mills.  Without this tentative tax increase the millage rate will be no more than 14.714 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $52,000 is approximately $212.47 and the proposed tax increase for nonhomestead property with a fair market value of $70,000 is approximately $286.02.

Check back with Patch for updates.

Back to School Bash Sponsorships

This is the last week to sign up as a sponsor of the . Donations are already ten percent higher than last year, Amos said.

Proposal from National Center for State Courts, Review of Municipal Court Operations

The total proposal cost is $10,000; cost for the City of Stone Mountain, $7,000. Council members Coletti and Mailman expressed interest in making improvements to the system  -- in areas such as money collecting, for example. Coletti said the three judges "were all positive about" the proposal.