Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard touts balanced budget, new revenue sources for city

ALBANY — Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard told members of the Dougherty County Kiwanis Club Monday that city staff members have done a tremendous job in reducing expenses involving operation of city government.

She also reminded the gathered members that everyone in the community must work together to ensure a prosperous future for all citizens of the city.

“We are One Albany and we must work together for change, which is inevitable,” Hubbard said. “We’ve just approved a budget for this fiscal year which is balanced and included no property tax increase. The city staff has done a tremendous job in reducing our costs.”

When the city absorbed Water, Gas and Light to form the new Albany Utility Board, it resulted in a budget of $269 million. Hubbard said she was especially proud of producing a balanced budget without using an annual payment of $5 million in MEAG credits which are set to expire in 2018.

“Now we want to extend the service area of the new Utility Board, especially in the area of telecommunications, outside of the co-op limits,” Hubbard said. “The city owns a fiber optic network which we feel can be used to generate new revenue to under-serviced areas in the region.”

Hubbard added the city would like to give its employees raises which would be staff’s first raise since 2008. The mayor said the size of the raises will be determined by the results of an on-going salary survey.

She also pointed to two other revenue generating opportunities.

“The Rails to Trails project from Albany to Sasser (13-mile stretch) will give us the opportunity to build a trail and lay fiber optic cable at the same time,” Hubbard said.

The Mayor said the city plans on eventually extending the trail to Radium Springs, adding the potential of two new revenue sources.

Additional revenue, she said, had come from the city’s recent natural gas appliance financing operation.

“Our natural gas appliance financing program has been a huge success,” Hubbard said. “We have already issued 185 loans resulting in $800,000 in new revenue for the city.”

Hubbard then urged the community to reach out to its young people, who she said are the key to ensuring the city remains viable.

“We have to be open to young people and their new ideas,” Hubbard said. “We have to make them believe that their ideas are important. We have to show we care about our young professionals to keep them here.”

Hubbard who has been the city’s mayor since 2012, recently announced her intention to run for reelection.