ACC Mayor & Commission

Athens-Clarke County Commissioners spent much of their work session last night on potential transportation improvements, as county staff briefed lawmakers on two big transportation projects: improvements to Barber Street, and a slate of proposed safety measures for Prince Avenue.

The Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission meets this evening for their regular monthly meeting for what is also the third and final public hearing on the Mayor’s proposed budget.

Athens-Clarke County Commissioners continued work on the county’s budget at a meeting on Tuesday, where much of the discussion centered on the thorny issue of a living wage.

While most Commissioners broadly agree that the county should pay all its employees a living wage of $15 per hour, they differed on some of the details. One of those details is whether part-time and seasonal employees should be included in the pay bump.

That’s a proposition that District 8’s Carol Myers pushed back on, citing a lack of consistent increases in retiree benefits.

The Athens-Clarke County Commission will take another two weeks to evaluate Mayor Kelly Girtz's proposed budget. Instead of voting on the measure at their June 1st regular meeting, as previously scheduled, the Commission will take a final vote at a June 15th special session.

Girtz's budget proposes some $148 million in General Fund spending. The overall budget is $271.5 million, about $5 million more than last year. 

With Athens-Clarke County Commissioners set to vote on the county's $225 million FY 2022 budget. WUGA's Jessica Wurst has been covering the budget process, and she joins Chris Shupe to talk about the high points of the budget.