ROSWELL’S 2009/2010 BUDGET

Monday night the Roswell City Council adopted the budget for 2009/2010 that neither raised taxes, cut services or laid off any city employees. 

As Mayor, and the person ultimately responsible for the efficient and orderly administration of the city, I am proud to say that over the last 12 years we have reduced the proportionate cost of Roswell’s government.

Since I became Mayor in 1998, Roswell has grown in size:

    * Land area is up 27% (32 to 42 square miles)

    * Population is up 77% (57,000 to 101,000)

    * Property tax base is up 182% ($4.4 billion dollars to  $12.4 billion)

Despite growth, Roswell’s city government has been able to cut costs:

    * City employees per person is down 26% (81 to 60  employees per 10,000 citizens)

    * Cost of city government adjusted for inflation is down  5% ($657 to $624 per person)

    * Property tax millage rate is down 17% (6.5 mills to  5.455 mills)

Roswell has been able to lower property taxes and the cost of government not by cutting services or laying off employees, but by careful budgeting, good management and hard work.  I wish to thank the city employees, the three City Administrators, and the 12 Councilmembers with whom I have served for making Roswell the best-run city in Georgia. 

Mayor Jere Wood
Roswell