No. New. Taxes. The DeKalb County commission, most members adopting their last budget while in office given the massive turnover prompted by Election Day this past week, accepted the budget for 2018-19 without raising property taxes.

The property tax rate remains steady at $1.8335 per $100 of assessed value after the county commission unanimously ratified the budget for the coming fiscal year. As a rule of thumb, each penny added to the property tax brings in $46,658 if collections run on average.

The adoption came after a number of pre-budget meetings by the budget committee, culminating the document commissioners approved. In total, the budget is for $42.9 million and includes monies from local, state and federal sources.

Among the new items being covered without a tax increase are raises for most county employees which were approved earlier this year for employees, beginning with increases for sheriff’s deputies and concluding with what began as a contentious round of raises ambulance personnel which led to the resignation of Commissioner Joe Johnson when ambulance personnel were first snubbed. He eventually nixed his resignation when the raises were approved but was beaten in his bid for reelection during the Democratic Primary.

As for big ticket items being funded without raising taxes are $165,000 to purchase and equip five new patrol cars for the sheriff’s department; $135,000 for a new ambulance; $165,000 for a fire hall in the Four Seasons community; $40,000 for courthouse repairs and $10,000 for repairs to the Omega Apparel building.

As for where the property tax money goes, the budget broke it down to the penny, with the county general fund getting the biggest dip with 0.9635 cents followed by schools with 0.61 cents. General purpose capital projects get 0.10 cents and debt serve 0.13 cents. Highway and public works get 0.03 cents.