Hiram Council Passes Excise Tax

Hiram city councilmen during their final scheduled meeting of 2012 on Tuesday approved an agreement that will see the phase-in of a 2-percent excise tax on energy used in manufacturing, which would then replace the state and local sales and use tax set to be phased out over the next four years.

The intergovernmental agreement with Paulding County was approved by a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Prather Rollins voting in opposition.

According to City Manager Robbie Rokovitz, the measure was being left to local jurisdictions to decide.

"We don't know what that will net the city … so the cities and the county are going into an intergovernmental agreement to impose that local excise tax. For the city of Hiram, that's a nominal amount that we collect; we may go to the city of Dallas and the county and eliminate that, but right now the decision was made to go ahead and extend that [tax],” Rokovitz said.

The council approved one item that had been tabled at last month’s regular meeting—it authorized Mayor Doris Devey to enter into a contract with the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) for services relative to alcoholic beverage tax operation and compliance.

Another item receiving council approval was a six-month agreement with Waste Industries to continue services as presently contracted with the city until June 30, 2013.

Rokovitz, who addressed the council on the measure, explained that the contract with Waste Industries would allow the city some additional time in which to put out a request for proposal and to solicit bids.  

The council also passed a resolution to officially approve the Five Year Short Term Work Program Update 2012-2016.

In September, councilmen voted to transmit the draft of a “Five Year Short Term Work Program Update” and the “Report of Accomplishments: 2007-2011” to the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for review.

According to City Clerk Cynthia Geyer, the updated reports provide state agencies with information that can potentially assist the city with future grant applications.

In other business, the council approved:

• An adoption agreement and general addendum for the Georgia Municipal Employees Benefit System (GMEBS) defined benefit retirement plan.
• A list of no less than 30 end-of-the-year alcohol license renewal applications.