Savannah maintains millage rate, puts drainage into focus with added revenues in back-to-back years

The City of Savannah is set for an extra $7.1 million in revenues devoted to drainage, traffic calming and public safety initiatives. Included in those initiatives is $3.5 million for stormwater projects, and the allocation comes on the heels of a spate of heavy rains in Savannah.

The initiatives are funded by additional tax revenues after Savannah City Council voted Thursday to maintain its millage rate. Council passed the maintained rate on a unanimous vote which marked a change from last year’s divided millage-rate discussions.

“Every available pot of money we have, we want to be able to put it in the ground to continue to address drainage issues and pinch points along our drainage system," said Mayor Van Johnson at a recent press conference.

Council approved the maintained rate of 12.2 mills with a 7-0 vote. District 3 Alderwoman Linda Wilder Bryan was out of town and, thus, not present for the vote. The rate of 12.2 mills is the city’s lowest rate since 1987.

Despite maintaining the same rate as last year, the added revenue is due to a near 11% increase in the property tax digest generated by increased property valuations.

The City of Savannah held three public hearings that fielded two in-person public comments. Last year, for example, over a dozen showed up to council for comment on the day of the vote, according to reporting by the Savannah Morning News .

Many of those attendees last year opposed the 12.2 rate in favor of a rollback rate that would have resulted in lower tax payments for those without a Stephens-Day Exemption .

Increased tax bills associated with this year's maintained rate will be about $40 more for homes valued at $100,000 with no Stephens-Day Exemption, according to a City of Savannah press release. For a home valued at $500,000, the potential increase would be about $200.

District 1 Alderwoman Bernetta Lanier and Post 2 At Large Alderwoman Alicia Miller Blakely approved the 12.2 mills rate Thursday after opposing it last year. Lanier declined an interview request after the meeting.

Blakely noted that the vote would not change the increased valuations for residents, which are decided by the tax assessor's office. She also said that the stormwater, public safety and traffic investments were good uses for the added revenue.

"If we utilize the funds for what we say we are going to utilize them for, then that's good," Blakely said. "I have no qualms about it."

The stormwater projects focus largely on west side communities and the Springfield basin. Areas set to receive stormwater improvements include the Woodville community, the Fell Street station, Tremont Road and Mills B. Lane Boulevard.

The largest stormwater improvement would be a $1.5 million investment in the Tremont Road drainage project. The next highest-cost project would be $900,000 for Mills B. Lane Boulevard and the Springfield North Drainage Basin.

This year's stormwater investments build on last year's $7.8 million drainage investment in three areas of Savannah. Here were those areas:

• Where the Casey Canal empties into Hayner's Creek near Montgomery Crossroad. Spending $4 million on pipes and culverts would improve water flow.
• Along Victory Drive near Ogeechee Road. The $3 million investment would expand drainage capacity to areas south of the improvement point.
• Along the Springfield Canal in the Liberty City neighborhood. Dedicating $862,438 would address "severe issues" with flooding along Vasser Street by doubling the size of the pipes and allowing more water to flow through to an expanded Springfield Canal upstream.

The public safety investments include $1.5 million for fire and police raises. There is also an additional $100,000 devoted to increasing public safety hiring bonuses. The investment would contribute to the city's zero percent vacancy goal, according to a July 9 memo from City Manager Jay Melder .

Finally, the city's Vision Zero initiative is set to receive a $2 million investment. Specific projects include thermoplastic pavement markings, crosswalk enhancement and pedestrian lighting across the city.

"These efforts will contribute significantly to our goal of creating safer streets for everyone," wrote Melder in the memo.

Evan Lasseter is the city and county reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah maintains millage rate, puts drainage into focus with added revenues in back-to-back years