The Bremen City Council has approved lower tax millage rates this year, although some property owners may see an increase in the actual amount of taxes due, council members announced during their Monday night board meeting.

Bremen City Mayor Sharon Sewell and council members approved reduced millage rates in both Haralson and Carroll Counties due to budget cuts that led to a trim in budget needs for this fiscal year. However, City Manager Perry Hicks says the tax increase some property owners may see will stem from the General Assembly’s decision to suspend the Homestead Tax Exemption measure as a result of falling revenue this year.

Meanwhile, the council approved lower millage rates for Haralson County that stand at 7.113, which is just under last year’s rate of 7.114. Calculations for Carroll County also reflect a mild reduction this year of 7.047, compared to 7.048 for the previous year.

In the meantime, Hicks declared the city budget is in “good shape,” as they’ve bottled $4,094,945, which contributed to cost-saving measures as the downturn began. By putting a freeze on filling vacant positions and shopping for competitive benefits packages, Hicks said the city has recovered a “significant” amount in savings.

“The city hasn’t reduced staff by virtue of layoffs and furloughs. We didn’t fund a cost-of-living increase, and on the cost-reduction side, we went to market and looked for rates in workers comp insurance. This helped, so we didn’t have to reduce staff, and we still have expenditures,” he said.

Hicks says the city’s reserve is below the recommendation of financial advisors, but that the account contains a “couple thousand dollars” he expects will carry the city through the Fall, when the revenue stream opens from property tax collections.

In other business, the council approved the acquisition of the city’s cemetery, which costs $7,500. The burial ground will be expanded to accommodate 170 plots.

A rezoning request was also granted to a property owner on Pacific Avenue. The measure authorizes the rezoning of property from Limited Commercial Residence (LCR), to a C-2 Neighborhood Highway Service Business District, so the owner can operate a swimming pool construction business on the property. The vote was also passed with the city’s planning commission’s recommendation to the owner to install a fence and vegetated buffer zones, which the owner agreed to do.

Haralson County Commissioner Eric Robinson later addressed the board about updates concerning the West Georgia Boot Camp facility that will be converted into a county jail. He said the commissioners have been looking into financing and engineering opportunities as plans get underway to renovate the facility.

The next Bremen City Council meeting will be held Monday, Sept. 21, at the Bremen Public Safety Complex in Bremen.