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Douglas County government will trim its budget for the third straight year, Commission Chairman Tom Worthan said Tuesday.

“For the remainder of this week, we’re going to be looking at the 2010 budget at our retreat,” Worthan told the noon GreyStone Power Luncheon sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. “We’ve cut $14 million in the last two years and we’ll be cutting again.”

Worthan and Douglasville Mayor Mickey Thompson were the guest speakers at the event billed as a “Thank You to Elected Officials.”

Worthan said the demand for county services has been at an all-time high in the past two years, but revenues have been at an all-time low.

“We haven’t had to raise taxes,” Worthan said. “We have the second lowest millage rate of the 13-county metro Atlanta region.”

For example, he said, Rockdale County on the east of Atlanta is about the same size as Douglas County.

“Douglas County’s millage rate is 7.826 mills,” he said. “Rockdale’s is 14.730 mills. I’m proud of our officials and commissioners for holding down taxes.”

Worthan organized his presentation along the lines of the county’s popular weekly e-mail publication, “Douglas County Happenings,” which has gone out every Thursday for eight years to subscribers.

Using past days’ events, he praised voters for approving the special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) referendum for a new jail on Nov. 3 and the hundreds of people who turned out for the annual Nov. 11 lighted Veterans Day parade.

Worthan also reminded people that Nov. 23, next Monday, is the final day to register for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) assistance for damage from the September floods.

“If you’re not registered, you won’t get help,” he emphasized. “If you think there’s any possibility of damage, contact FEMA before Nov. 23.”

He concluded, “It’s been a rough year, with economic downturn, heavy rainfall and flooding. We’re working toward a brighter future, and it’s all happening in Douglas County.”

Thompson began his presentation by saying, “It’s not so easy being an elected official now.”

He said the city has struggled with employee benefits and the need to reduce the staff due to economic bad times.

He showed a 13-minute narrated video, a city of Douglasville progress report.

In the report, Thompson said more than 420 people attended a recent open house for input on the Georgia Highway 92 relocation project. He said the overall design and public comments will be sent to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), and the project will be reviewed by GDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.

He noted the Rose Avenue and Highway 5 intersection project is being done with federal stimulus funds and the Slater Mill Road and Prestley Mill Road flood damage will be repaired within a few days.

Thompson said a 16,000-square-foot community center will be built at Hunter Park as part of a park renovation that will include six new ballfields and a tennis complex.

The city is also building a new public safety building on Fairburn Road to replace five police department buildings downtown.

He said the city plans to build a new 15,000-square-foot downtown conference center, with three breakout rooms, a fully equipped kitchen and a parking garage.

He noted that Georgia Highlands College intends to build a campus center off Bright Star Road and a new teen center will be built by the Boys and Girls Club at Hunter Park.