JONESBORO, Ga. — A public hearing wrapped up Tuesday for Clayton County's projected $295 million operating budget, with taxpayers and leaders in the community speaking out.
With the budget's price tag comes the search to figure out how to pay for it, and Clayton County District Attorney Tasha Mosley and her team want to help keep the community safe.
“Sometimes it just feels like a boxing match," Mosley said. “It’s a 10 rounder. The strongest will survive, and right now, we’re surviving but barely," Mosley said.
Mosley said fighting the bad guys feel never-ending, and she was one of the people who spoke at public comment. She asked Clayton County Commissioners for $1 million in the fiscal year 2024 budget to increase starting salaries and pay for current employees.
“I cannot attract anybody to my office because for them to take a job offer from me, they are losing anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000," Mosley said.
This is just one of the issues commissioners will have to look at as they consider priorities in the budget.
“We’ve got to begin to get our salaries up to a point where we can compete," Commissioner DeMont Davis said.
In May, commissioners voted 3-2 to give Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen $3.6 million to hire 33 new deputies. The board approved almost twice what Allen requested and said it was needed to keep the courts and jail functioning correctly.
“The priorities are for safety, for health, for roads and bridges in our community," Commission Vice Chair Felicia Franklin said; he motioned to give Allen the additional money.
“We have a new sheriff. We’ve got to give him every tool and every resource within reason to succeed," Davis said.
Commissioner Davis voted against the increase, along with Commission Chair Jeffrey Turner, who previously told 11Alive he's worried about what else may have to be cut.
“Are we going to have to come up with those funds? Yes. Might they have to come out of the general fund? Yes," Davis said.
Davis said the board will begin meeting to decide what to cut. They want to keep property taxes down. The vote is scheduled for Tuesday, June 20.