[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6221039,"mediaKeyId","3615154-5053f8a3dab8a03eeb70e732d4e66abe","parentId",3615154,"title","Carroll County finance director outlines positive revenue outlook, proposes budget amendments including retention payments","audioSeconds",918,"startMs",1335000,"endMs",2253000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3615154-5053f8a3dab8a03eeb70e732d4e66abe&start=1335&end=2253","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3615154-5053f8a3dab8a03eeb70e732d4e66abe/thumbnail_1335000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6221039/Carroll-County/Georgia/Carroll-County-finance-director-outlines-positive-revenue-outlook-proposes-budget-amendments-including-retention-payments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221039-84bf51830a103c9ad5e27bdd4f8761b5/orig.mp4?Expires=1774849578&Signature=FalsxjydPWK81GYJsrBiKYLIm2jDEGTmBj5CJQGdW2F5lJoNjSoTdmUMpaozST1Cbydegv-l5auiUcqfnw7RxyVcfwizsvkb0fWYWk~h3XJu2r9~cKt1gdIJYJ9KQPWb6-xu~RkqbVVOIAMOg8Skzcs4vk4cF~e~BRbPso07VgLwKUT9bcKKTEiTAm5u0JDS7xWJPng2NR3QNGsQOqn-kHwNwoJ0xMGsUP1RMTeh4c9cPuStmjdl0B6PbAcd5ioHx~y82DScOi44QlSU8xP97rHuj1cBUVJL~3p5WH0LaT0eUbGChyk-BAK0kLuhApyIEDJ9oPu~xsRlWZAJ~yT0QA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-30T08:39:24Z","article","Alicia Searcy, Carroll County finance director, presented an April financial recap on May 29 and proposed a set of budget amendments to cover retention payments, capital projects and grant-funded items.

Searcy reported year-to-date general fund revenue of $74,797,865 and expenditures of $64,243,621, leaving a gap to the budgeted revenue of roughly $6,856,005.29. She projected the county would meet or slightly exceed its budgeted revenue and forecast coming in under budget on expenditures by about $2.5 million to $3 million. Searcy said the general fund cash balance was $52,925,009.46 as of the April report and that the April fund-balance figure available elsewhere was $56,239,007.79.

Searcy proposed a general-fund budget amendment that includes roughly $1,753,176 in additional revenue assumptions with $176,000 coming from fund balance and proposed retention payments totaling about $2,050,000. Funding sources for the retention proposal would include departmental savings, $125,000 from contingency, $50,000 from damage settlements, roughly $15,000–$21,000 from risk management/unemployment lines, $25,000 from building repair and maintenance, and $10,000 from miscellaneous general administration. She also proposed moving $840,915 in insurance proceeds from the solid waste fund into the capital projects fund to pay for a future transfer-station rebuild after the design is complete.

Searcy outlined other amendments: $400,000 for compactor equipment purchases, $590,000 for sheriff’s facility cameras and renovations (the finance director said that item may move to the capital projects fund pending RFP requirements), and a $6,772,000 amendment to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) fund to cover judicial ARPA grants, mental-health services at the jail and $2.2 million to support the North Carroll Water Project with the Carroll County Water Authority.

Commissioners discussed the possibility of applying some surplus to debt reduction. One commissioner said historically the county split extra funds between employee retention, capital projects and reserves and asked staff to present options for paying down debt, possibly using reserves; Searcy said she would provide additional detail on interest earnings and a debt-paydown analysis before any action. Commissioners asked for clearer RFP timing and insurance negotiation steps related to the solid-waste transfer-station claim.

No final budget-adoption vote occurred at the May 29 work session; Searcy presented the proposed resolution and the board discussed advertisement language for the budget amendment that staff will publish in local legal notices. The county will continue to refine the capital/operational classifications before taking final action at the public hearing and formal vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 29th Special Called Meeting & Work Session Part 1","oneSentenceSummary","Alicia Searcy, Carroll County finance director, presented April financial results showing $74.8 million in year-to-date revenue and proposed budget amendments on May 29 to fund retention payments, capital projects and grant activity.","taxTitle","Carroll County, Georgia","taxId",28238,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6221044,"Sheriff’s office recommends replacing three aging jail HVAC units; commissioners ask for warranty information",340,944000,1284000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3615154-5053f8a3dab8a03eeb70e732d4e66abe&start=944&end=1284","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3615154-5053f8a3dab8a03eeb70e732d4e66abe/thumbnail_944000.jpg","/articles/6221044/Carroll-County/Georgia/Sheriffs-office-recommends-replacing-three-aging-jail-HVAC-units-commissioners-ask-for-warranty-information","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221044-20827e74088099948d6899bdcc5e5019/orig.mp4?Expires=1774849578&Signature=oJuiTJ1WIKUZ4QfSWpr1dUQqqo9cDiqyzz0h7Ik5PqNSYEHc3mWAhgZWwfG7nPX0aVfDm2yDEBPFiQjNNY2Rn0aeZbGbA0fLX504GE1V4t9AffKvpfE1PS2HN5tNGUEW3rVqwPiqhA4Nx1enHllSaP9oQ-wFtAkopcMEHTImp41UiSDep9K9oUXh9nEEQMexYbRu-fE4Hf07EJd0GjmLGlwnAktFOvEkjDwSYt0ti1B-65Ulv0iCNsehx0uAMLdMvpXeShWdHQzEPEmNlGDAHqBQcNEPA16y89d3ljwCmkLyUgXTkoB6US8i0z0wmba99ViQdDqdtaD2Gu5WWAM7cg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Major Shane Taylor of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office told commissioners on May 29 that one of three 25-year-old rooftop HVAC units at the county jail experienced a major mechanical failure when a fan assembly dislodged. The unit was temporarily repaired but Taylor said it is not restored to manufacturer standards.

“There’s 3 units on the jail that are original to the building. So they're over 25 years old,” Major Taylor said. He described repair history: compressors were replaced on different packs in recent years, some compressors cost about $6,000 apiece, and the aging units’ components are not performing together reliably. “Pack 3 … the actual large fan within the unit come out of where it seats and fell down,” he said.

Taylor presented two vendor quotes and said the county’s current maintenance contract qualifies EMCOR to perform electrical and routine maintenance work; that contract covers most electrical and maintenance tasks but does not cover compressor replacement. He said vendors proposed different brands — Trane and Carrier — with Trane described as more durable and Carrier as more energy-efficient. Taylor said the quoted costs for crane-assisted installation are $245,395 to install a single unit, $562,274 to install all three units, plus an additional $26,000 for a permanent safety railing that would remain on the roof once installed.

Commissioners discussed warranty and lifecycle concerns. “That’s just a massive amount of money to have a one-year warranty,” one commissioner said, asking staff to obtain details on extended-warranty options and coverage. Taylor said he did not have extended-warranty pricing available at the meeting but confirmed EMCOR’s contract covers electrical and many service items; compressors and other major parts may not be included under routine maintenance.

County staff and the sheriff’s office recommended putting the full replacement — all three units and the permanent safety railing — on the consent agenda for the next meeting with EMCOR as the recommended contractor, contingent on obtaining warranty cost information. Major Taylor said he will present extended-warranty details by the next meeting.

No formal procurement or expenditure vote was taken at the May 29 work session; commissioners endorsed the staff recommendation to place the item on the consent agenda and asked for follow-up warranty information before final contract approval.","Major Shane Taylor told Carroll County commissioners that one of three rooftop HVAC units at the jail recently failed and that the sheriff’s office and facilities staff recommend replacing all three units; commissioners asked staff to obtain extended-warranty cost details before formal procurement.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6221049,"Carroll County commissioners certify estimated rollback rate equal to prior year’s millage",542,321000,863000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3615154-5053f8a3dab8a03eeb70e732d4e66abe&start=321&end=863","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3615154-5053f8a3dab8a03eeb70e732d4e66abe/thumbnail_321000.jpg","/articles/6221049/Carroll-County/Georgia/Carroll-County-commissioners-certify-estimated-rollback-rate-equal-to-prior-years-millage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221049-318f8e4f527a548442cbc0c017dbb29d/orig.mp4?Expires=1774849578&Signature=DlU2tWXInY~Ie23rVEVHXSk0ObwpJX0iydTsdENg-odtwqjZ0F6gvv2n3G2AVgYQ-cJ96S-mqkx2Baq0TjTcXowdFd6xyOzKrQTSBv85D6fBQYtWNOXLtaaLyUlbkQIcz18AHwiX2D-Ev1uYqt2qow6joQS1Gv9hVhzU~bfAJx9U~3fonC-wn9GIJiDzwflQuYVOk~k7wUDnaz2mPaUsGIZzUb588K2H7vZSloZiDDD9eSBo8-jmpfPfTHUa-xk5YogKY6Zh0Io8UgTDM-DlWMoWDXGVWXtzXpAQfgES0GWoZFVZQSl04OowJ5unWk2U4l0VXLznAOo51TyuEAjaxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carroll County commissioners voted 7-0 on May 29 to certify an estimated rollback rate equal to last year’s millage for the county maintenance and operations portion, a step required under new state law that will appear on this year’s property assessment notices.

Hubert Sparks, Carroll County chief tax assessor, told commissioners the estimated rollback rate requirement became law in 2025 and was created by House Bill 581 and revised by House Bill 92. “The estimated rollback rate is a new concept that became law in 2025,” Sparks said. He said the law requires each taxing authority to certify the rate and provide it to the county board of assessors and the tax commissioner at least 15 days before the postmark date of the annual notice of assessment.

The certification ensures the county’s notice will list the certified estimated rollback rate rather than an estimated tax owed. Sparks said notices are tentatively planned for June and that the deadline to certify is June 4. He also told the board he had conferred with municipal and school taxing authorities and that many jurisdictions planned to certify their prior year millage rates.

Commissioners discussed the practical effect on later millage-setting. Sparks warned that if the board certifies an estimated rollback rate and later sets a millage higher than that estimate, the county tax bill will include a disclaimer alerting property owners that the estimated rollback rate was exceeded. “If you set a rollback rate today, you need to make sure that you're not going to exceed that amount when you set your official millage rate later on,” he said.

The board’s motion to approve the resolution certified the maintenance-and-operations portion at 6.363 mills for unincorporated Carroll County; the county’s portion in the City of Carrollton was recorded as 5.376 mills and in the City of Bremen as 5.052 mills. The motion passed unanimously, 7-0.

The certification applies to the county’s portion of the millage only; Sparks said Carrollton and Bremen have different county maintenance-and-operations portions because of local fire service arrangements. The county will still set a final millage rate later in the fiscal process; commissioners may “roll back” or lower the rate when they set the official millage during the August meeting, Sparks said.

The action followed guidance from the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) and the Georgia Municipal Association, which Sparks read for the board. Commissioners did not take additional binding action beyond certifying the estimated rollback rate on the resolution presented.

Details in the resolution and assessment-notice examples will determine whether the county’s notices include an estimate of taxes owed or simply the certified estimated rollback rate; Sparks described a “hybrid” scenario if some taxing authorities certify and others do not. The board’s certification is intended to avoid that hybrid for Carroll County.

Next steps: the certified estimated rollback rates will be provided to the county board of assessors and the tax commissioner to be included on the annual notices; the board will set the final millage at a later meeting.","Carroll County commissioners voted 7-0 on May 29 to certify an estimated rollback rate for fiscal 2025 that matches the prior year’s millage for the county maintenance and operations portion, a step required by new state law to appear on property assessment notices.","actionData","errors"]

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Carroll County finance director outlines positive revenue outlook, proposes budget amendments including retention payments

Sheriff’s office recommends replacing three aging jail HVAC units; commissioners ask for warranty information

Carroll County commissioners certify estimated rollback rate equal to prior year’s millage