Proposed budget begins the use of American Rescue Plan funding and addresses compensation of public safety personnel.
Dunwoody, GA – August 31, 2021 – Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch and City Manager Eric Linton transmitted the proposed 2022 Budget for the City of Dunwoody to the full Council today, as required by the City’s Charter.
The proposed budget raises the entry-level salaries of public safety officers and detectives. This proposal will increase the starting salary of a police officer with a high school diploma to $46,350, and those officers with a master’s degree will start at $50,100. Going forward, the City will have a new hiring salary scale for these positions based on education and years of public safety experience.
“While the pandemic continues to affect the economy, we were able to draft a budget that prioritizes keeping our public safety compensation competitive,” said Mayor Deutsch. “This budget also focuses on economic recovery with the introduction of America Rescue Plan funding.”
Dunwoody has received the first half of the $18.4 million of America Recuse Plan (ARP) funding allocated to the city. The budget proposes the use of ARP funding for the creation of the Park at Perimeter Center East. Two years ago, local hotels suggested the park as an item of need to attract visitors who want to walk or exercise while they are staying in Dunwoody. The hotel/motel tax was raised to bond out construction for this and other related items in the area. With the impact of the pandemic on tourism and travel, the tax is no longer stable enough to fund this park. Therefore, Mayor Deutsch is recommending consideration of ARP funding for its creation.
The second item using ARP funding is $1.5 million of revenue replacement. “This funding was created for multiple purposes and replacing local revenue loss was one,” said Linton. Mayor and Council will work with city staff to allocate the remaining ARP funding based on economic recovery needs identified by assessment.
“I am very proud of how the city has weathered the financial situation so far,” added Linton. “The fact that the General Fund ended last year with a $1.8 million surplus shows how prudent the Mayor and Council were in reacting immediately when the pandemic hit. This budget also keeps the effective tax rate for a Dunwoody homeowner as one of the lowest around the metro area at 1.740 mills.”
The budget is now in the hands of the City’s Budget Committee, which is scheduled to meet on September 9 and 10. The City Council will have a hearing on the budget on October 11 with the final vote on October 25. A hard copy is available at Dunwoody City Hall during operating hours in the Finance Department and on the Dunwoody website under the Finance Department tab.
