Page 27 - Fayette County NCG

FCDA Update

FCDA update:
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F A S T - P A CED GR O WTH CONTINUE S

Cost of Community Services Study Underscores

Importance of Commercial Tax Base

he Fayette County tracking residential and business tax
Development Authority revenue, expenditures, and ratios
(FCDA) recently shared thereof. Agricultural and utility are other
Tresults of the “Cost of categories included in the report.
Community Services Study” they “It’s our benchmark,” said Vanderslice.
“We will do this periodically. It gives us
commissioned on behalf of the county.
a look at things before the QTS Data
Conducted by the Georgia Tech Center
Center came online, for example. The
for Economic Development Research,
benchmark allows us to tell the story
the report took about eight months
about that investment and others.”
to complete.
The story is a good one. Taxes from
Niki Vanderslice, FCDA President and
commercial developments in Fayette
CEO, said the analysis is the first of its
help fund services they use rarely, if ever,
kind for Fayette County. She says Cost
like cart paths and libraries, which are
of Community Services reports are also
used more by the residential population.
being done for the cities of Fayetteville,
Vanderslice said that, by parcel count,
Peachtree City, and Tyrone; they’re not
Fayette County has a largely residential
applicable to the much smaller Brooks
tax base. According to the FCDA CEO,
and Woolsey. it’s not uncommon for residents to use
“Woolsey doesn’t collect any ad more services than they pay for in taxes.
valorem taxes,” Vanderslice said. Commercial taxpayers add no children/
The idea behind the data is to have students to the school system. They
a detailed look at how the tax digest require police, EMS, and fire less often
shapes up for Fayette County, largely than the residential tax base. The analysis
FCDA President and CEO, Niki Vanderslice

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