Columbus, Georgia

A RESOLUTION



No.



A RESOLUTION RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. 222-88 WHICH ESTABLISHED THE GENERAL

RULES, PROCEDURES, REGULATIONS, REQUIREMENTS, AND SPECIFICATIONS, SETTING FORTH

THE MANNER AND METHOD FOR CREATION OF NEW URBAN SERVICES DISTRICTS; AND

EXPANSION, CONSOLIDATION, REDUCTION, OR MERGER OF URBAN SERVICES DISTRICTS, AND

SUBSTITUTING A NEW RESOLUTION WHICH ESTABLISHES GENERAL RULES, PROCEDURES,

REGULATIONS, REQUIREMENTS, AND SPECIFICATIONS, SETTING FORTH THE MANNER AND

METHOD FOR CREATION OF NEW URBAN SERVICES DISTRICTS; AND EXPANSION,

CONSOLIDATION, REDUCTION, OR MERGER OF URBAN SERVICES DISTRICTS.





WHEREAS, the Council of Columbus, Georgia is charged by Section 1-103 of the

charter of the Consolidated Government of Columbus, Georgia with the

responsibility of establishing general rules, procedures, regulations,

requirements, and specifications which shall set forth the manner and method

for creation of urban services districts; and expansion, consolidation,

reduction or merger of existing urban services districts; and



WHEREAS, it is recognized by the Council of Columbus, Georgia that varying

degrees of urbanization exist throughout the territory of the consolidated

government, which call for varying degrees of urban services, and



WHEREAS, it is necessary to establish objective criteria for delineating urban

services district lines within the territory of the consolidated government; and



WHEREAS, the degree of fire protection experienced by areas within the

territory of the consolidated government bears a close correlation to the

general urbanization of the area; and



WHEREAS, Resolution Number 222-88 proved to be inadequate in establishing

regulations for Urban Services Districts.



NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA THAT THE

FOLLOWING IS HEREBY ADOPTED AS THE OFFICIAL POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF

COLUMBUS GEORGIA:





SECTION 1.



The boundaries of Urban Services District Number 1 may be expanded at such time

as additional areas are afforded the same or equal fire protection as generally

afforded to the property owners in the new Urban Services District Number 1.



SECTION 2.



If there be any territory within the territory of the consolidated government

which does not enjoy a degree of fire protection at least equal to Urban

Services District Number 1, then at least one other urban services district

shall be so drawn as to include that territory within the Consolidated

Government which has the lowest degree of fire protection. The district with

the lowest degree of fire protection shall be known initially as Urban Services

District Number 2.



SECTION 3.



If there be any area within the territory of the consolidated government which

enjoys a higher degree of fire protection than the district with the lowest

degree of fire protection, but a lower degree of fire protection than Urban

Services District Number 1, then the Council may create an additional urban

services district to include said area.



SECTION 4.



No new territory may be transferred from a district with a lower degree of fire

protection to a district with a higher degree of fire protection unless the

following conditions are met:



a. The fire insurance rating of all class rated dwellings within the area to be

added shall be equal to the fire insurance rating on comparable class rated

dwellings in the district to which added.



b. More than fifty percent of the net taxable assessed valuation of real

property within the area to be added shall enjoy a degree of fire protection at

least equal to the majority of like property in the district to which

transferred and greater than the majority of the remainder of like property in

the district from which transferred.



SECTION 5.



No new district may be created unless it is determined by Council of Columbus,

Georgia that urban services will be rendered in that district which are

peculiar to that district, or unless more than fifty percent of the net taxable

assessed valuation of real property in the new district is enjoying a different

degree of fire protection than is enjoyed by any of the existing districts.



SECTION 6.



In determining the rates of taxation to be paid within the urban services

districts for fire protection, the millage rate in each district shall be

calculated in inverse proportion to the millage rate paid by the district with

the lowest degree of fire protection, in the same proportion that the standard

fire insurance cost on a class rated, brick veneered, single family dwelling in

the district, valued at the average (mean) value of all single family dwellings

in the territory of the consolidated government (excluding land value), bears

to the comparable insurance cost on a class rated dwelling of equal value in

the district with the lowest degree of fire protection, so that when all the

proportionate millage rates are applied to the assessed valuations within their

respective districts, they produce a sum total of revenue equal to the budgeted

expenditures for the operation of the Columbus. Fire Department, less any

directly offsetting revenue budgeted for the operation of the Fire Department.

Insurance rates will be determined in accordance with fire insurance rate

schedules published by the Insurance Services Office of Georgia, in effect on

January 1 of the current year.



SECTION 7.



In addition to Fire Protection, the following services are designated as Urban

Services:



a. Police Patrol Services.

b. Sewer Fund.

c. Paving Fund.



SECTION 8.



In determining the rates of taxation for Police Patrol Services, a ?Net

Budgeted Expenditures? figure will be calculated for each service by deducting

from the total of budgeted expenditures a percentage allocation of certain

other revenue, to arrive at the net amount needed to be financed from ad

valorem taxation. In arriving at ?Net Budgeted Expenditures?, the total of

budgeted expenditures will be reduced by a percentage equal to the percentage

of all budgeted revenue other than the following to the total of all budgeted

revenue:



a. All ad valorem taxation.

b. All user charges, such as charges for the use of recreational facilities.

c. All revenue from the courts.

d. All fees and permits other than license and franchise fees.

e. All revenue from engineering services.

f. All revenue from sale of cemetery lots.

g. All ambulance charges.

h. Any revenue generated specifically to offset a specific expenditure, unless

it is generated to offset a specific expenditure included in the budgeted

expenditures for one of the urban services, in which case the full amount will

be offset against the budgeted expenditures for that urban service.



SECTION 9.



In determining the rate of taxation to be paid for police services, all

expenditures of the Columbus Police Department, other than Patrol Services,

shall be considered general services and chargeable to the General Services

District. The ?net budgeted expenditures? of the Bureau of Patrol Services

shall be financed from ad valorem taxation within the urban services districts.

The tax rate within each urban services district shall be calculated in inverse

proportion to the median response time on all Priority 2 and Priority 3 police

calls experienced in the taxing district during the preceding calendar year.

?Median response time? shall be calculated by the Director of Public Safety and

is defined as ?that response time, beyond which the number of responses not

longer duration is equal to the number of responses of shorter duration?.

Priority 2 and Priority 3 police calls are defined as ?calls which are

non-routine and impose threat of injury or loss of life and/or property

including felonies, traffic accidents, domestic violence, and other ?expedite?

or ?emergency? calls?.?



SECTION 10.



The following Divisions of the Engineering and Public Services Departments

are considered general services and chargeable to the General Services District:

a. Traffic Engineering

b. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

c. Radio Communications

d. Public Services Administration

e. Fleet Management

f. Special Enforcement

g. Cemeteries

h. Facilities Maintenance

i. Other Maintenance (General Fund)



SECTION 11



The Paving Fund and Sewer Fund shall be financed from ad valorem taxation

within the urban services districts in direct proportion to the number of miles

of public roads and streets in the district that are maintained at local

expense.



SECTION 12.



After calculation of the respective millages for Operation of the Fire

Department and Police Patrol Services, the total millage for these services

shall be consolidated into one levy, to be designated as the ?Urban Services

Tax?.



SECTION 13.



The total of the Urban Services Tax, the Paving Fund Levy, and the Sewer Fund

Levy shall constitute the ?Combined Urban Services Levy?.



SECTION 14.



All millage calculations shall be rounded off to the nearest 0.01 mill.



SECTION 15.



In addition to the varying rates of taxation for urban services as herein

provided, the Council of Columbus, Georgia may also, in its discretion, set

varying rates of taxation for other services, provided that objective criteria

can be developed for differentiating the kind, character, degree, and level of

such services; and that the procedure for calculating such taxes is enacted by

duly adopted resolution of the Council.



SECTION 16.



Resolution No. 222-88 is hereby rescinded in its entirety.



SECTION 17.



All resolutions or parts of resolutions in conflict with this resolution are

hereby repealed.







Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia, held on

the ________ day of _ _, 2003, and adopted at said meeting by the

affirmative vote of _______ members of said Council.





Councilor Allen voting ________________

Councilor Anthony voting ________________

Councilor Davis voting ________________

Councilor Henderson voting ________________

Councilor Hunter voting ________________

Councilor McDaniel voting ________________

Councilor Rodgers voting ________________

Councilor Suber voting ________________

Councilor Turner Pugh voting ________________

Councilor Woodson voting ________________





__________________________ ___ ______________________

Tiny B. Washington, Clerk of Council Robert S.

Poydasheff, Mayor