Yesterday’s (November 23, 2009) public hearing on the Gwinnett County proposed millage rate hike plan drew a collective 450 residents with the morning session drawing approximately 150 and the evening session drawing approximately 300. The majority of the audience was decidedly against any tax increase.

Suwanee resident Ed Honeycutt received the loudest show of support when he stated, “We expect you to do this in a manner that does not place additional pressure on the county budget that translates into additional pressure on taxpayers’ wallets. Parks and recreation, clearly, is a want. Police protection, fire protection, fast EMS response times are needs.”

Lawrenceville resident Jan Tadeo stated, “I think the consensus here is the commission has made some very poor choices in the past with our money. I think the millage rate today is very unfair. To put the onus on property owners is very wrong.”

The overall general consensus was that there is a general public mistrust of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners’ ability to properly spend taxpayer money in this time of economic instability and that the BoC won’t acknowledge that Gwinnettians are hurting financially as well. Gwinnett residents are being forced to eliminate wants in favor of needs and expect their government to account for their tax dollars in similar fashion.

The next public hearing will be held next Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at the GJAC after which the BoC will vote on the measure.