(WSB Radio)  Gwinnett County's proposal to raise property taxes is prompting rallies in protest.

A few hundred people turned out Monday night to express their anger over the plan.

"We are protesting the fact that these guys ran as fiscal conservatives," says Debbie Dooley, "and yet they present a budget that increases spending by 15% over last year."

The county commission chairman says if taxes aren't raised then services will suffer.

"We will cut," says Charles Bannister.  "We will irritate some more constituents."

But Sugar Hill Mayor Gary Pirkle says times are too tough to make people pay more in taxes.

"They're having a hard time, sometimes, putting food on the table for their children," he says.  "This is not the time to raise taxes."

Suwanee Mayor Dave Williams agrees.

"It comes at a terrible time for us," he says.  "The economy has really put a tough hit on everybody.  We have a lot of folks who have lost their jobs and salary cuts."

Dooley told the commission that service cuts can be accepted, but a tax hike cannot.

"We expect the services will be cut back," she says, "but that's something that's going on in households across this country and in Gwinnett County."