At a recent DeKalb County Board Finance Committee meeting, members watched a presentation by County Board member Dennis Sands.

The presentation dealt with the rapid growth of the city budget, in response to the increasing population in the county.

According to a statement sent by Sands, spending in the county has increased, allowing the county’s spending to increase by 50 percent every six years.

“The spending is increasing by 7.1 percent, despite operating under a so-called 5 percent tax cap,” Sands stated.

However, the past year allowed the County Assessor to determine new growth at 4.6 percent.

“If the County Board votes not to levy the full amount, [the funds] cannot be reclaimed,” County Board Member Bob Rosemier said. “It is essentially lost.”

Deputy County Administrator Gary Hanson said the increase is not caused by a tax cap.

“There is no such thing as a tax cap,” he said. “Spending is limited to three components: the cost-of-living adjustment, new construction money, and from the voters through a referendum.”

A referendum, passed in 1989, allowed for the increase in the county budget to lower to cost-of-living or five percent, whichever is lower.

“I believe that the budget contains no frills and, although restricted, supports the services that demand our highest priority,” Rosemier said.

The reasons behind the increase in spending are to meet the needs of the increasing population, said County Board Chairman Ruth Anne Tobias.

“Public safety budget expenditures, including attorneys and police officers, are needed as the population increases,” she said.

“We also have a jail that needs to have its roof fixed, and it’s the only jail in the county,” she said.

The money in the budget comes from a variety of different sources.

“Sources from the money gained from the growth range from user-fees, property taxes on new construction, county sales tax revenue and state income tax revenues,” Rosemier said.