After several months of internal auditing and financial review, the Long County of Commission completed its proposed budget for the 2017 fiscal year.

“The proposed budget has been completed, and I am happy to say on behalf of the other commissioners that our millage rate will remain the same and not one person in Long County will see a tax increase on their property,” Chairman Mike Riddle said.

With the completion of the proposed budget there will be three hearings for the public input. Those hearings will be at 9 a.m. Aug. 16, 7 p.m. Aug. 16 and 6:30 p.m. Aug. 24. There also will be a copy of the proposed budget at the Long County Library for anyone who wishes to look at it.

The budget was due at the end of June. Operations continued with spending resolutions.

“Man, getting this budget complete has been a lot of hard work,” Riddle said. “The commissioners and the staff went line by line through the proposal for three solid days, looking at ways to get as much out of every tax dollar as they could. It was a team effort getting to this point with that team being staff, department heads, constitutional officers and commissioners.”