[{"_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",6194974,"mediaKeyId","3862825-c58e67d8cc67704574a94ca378962969","parentId",3862825,"title","Resident warns Newton County could lose $4 million HUD Westside grant without required documents","audioSeconds",232,"startMs",3819000,"endMs",4051000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3862825-c58e67d8cc67704574a94ca378962969&start=3819&end=4051","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3862825-c58e67d8cc67704574a94ca378962969/thumbnail_3819000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6194974/Newton-County/Georgia/Resident-warns-Newton-County-could-lose-4-million-HUD-Westside-grant-without-required-documents","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6194974-5a4d2f2f457270339b1a91f6b18f5d95/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156411&Signature=S9bDJ5QLa-zYbSbmZS9p4vwVJzGbxKMCdvsfuvx-G9IXkumW5GI6DRHbnMGgQ8wTNjAYmbETpGE1D1ScpszaDO~u8j6Big2lDniFvtF1dzrlM7Y8s4NTtvm2nHbiO2wQNmqjZmBbeOiLp2PRIlw-C15tbVEZLk7fcidtXbSrwg0em5z84XX3YKTkMnQcqZQcajtDZSLIEDpvCSzRLPx-pfk3h-YR9Vv1caHLo8DR1BCg-8E1xwFxwvgiVHdL4Wl90s6pGsIcEjlUaKzM0WCQZn2FfXn5IC49~yR2Ep~I3fL6P8QG1LBNZbmkCSjCF4Lj3VPaZPRkHbLamb5004Kcqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-18T12:49:13Z","article","Two residents raised alarms at the June 17 meeting about a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant for a Westside facility and questioned whether Newton County has completed required post-award steps to secure the $4 million award.

\"I would not have in my possession, madam chair, the grant award letter from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development dated 03/02/2023 to Commissioner Alaina Sanders... Grant number B23CPGA00464,\" said Tresia Hodge during citizen comments, reading from the letter she said she held. Hodge told the board the award letter requires the county to provide documents needed to prepare and execute the grant agreement and said the county had not submitted those materials, including a line-item budget, project narrative and environmental review.

Former District 3 Commissioner Elena Sanders said she had worked on the grant application and that Congressman Johnson’s office had corrected the grantee name to \"Newton County, Georgia.\" \"So there is no problem on the grant,\" Sanders said, adding that the remaining issue is completing the county-side paperwork so an executed agreement and reimbursements can proceed.

Why it matters: Hodge and Sanders said the absence of an executed grant agreement means the county cannot draw down funds for the Westside project. Hodge asked the board to say whether it will submit the requested documents and when, warning that losing the grant would shift project costs back to local taxpayers.

Board response and context: Commissioners said they wanted to review the documentation and move matters forward if possible. Commissioner Long said he planned to follow up after the meeting. No formal vote or contract execution on the HUD grant occurred during the session.

Next steps: The speakers requested that county staff submit the outstanding post-award materials needed to complete the HUD grant agreement. The meeting record shows the county has not produced an executed agreement for the grant as of the June 17 meeting; speakers asked the board to confirm whether staff will provide the requested documents and a timeline for doing so.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Newton County BOC Regular Meeting June 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A resident and a former commissioner told the Board of Commissioners that a $4 million HUD grant award for a Westside facility is at risk because Newton County has not submitted required post-award documents and no executed grant agreement exists.","taxTitle","Newton County, Georgia","taxId",28541,"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},6194979,"Newton County firefighter warns department ‘in crisis,’ urges board action",117,3684000,3801000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3862825-c58e67d8cc67704574a94ca378962969&start=3684&end=3801","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3862825-c58e67d8cc67704574a94ca378962969/thumbnail_3684000.jpg","/articles/6194979/Newton-County/Georgia/Newton-County-firefighter-warns-department-in-crisis-urges-board-action","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6194979-8f4cd489cd9cf404f6ecb25d288e568c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156411&Signature=SyZ8kEgsatPqpYe2BJ~J2k7s6M2kivFbdOlRHrpcdaF79kCncdOtFaS4tt3GFpBRlBWPoGOrbai84emjP8wkEAE16qoTj8pgu4Zdi2m-VSuGlVSBRZRz4taiRkeukVjFG-PkkGy9RCx6IMZ-~tVMsDObFmWkXjaBMJquFIL0Cpa8GOs9rohRM9tXwWQoFnEgYcJcmz~lW7ORndfdRMsgQAZwbND69G-s9l-2ZtJHN7uznlgnc0EGO58vX-f-F2G2T9HQJ~K3RS31gSSTw0CrGxLdc9XU5KDYeib7HFOjTl8wjKDnr8jMFStKnt1HTm~jrUSjDlmJpPgNqMB8nle8lQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Newton County firefighter told the Board of Commissioners on June 17 that the county’s fire department is facing a staffing crisis and urged elected officials to act.

\"We are losing people every day,\" said James Franklin, a 22-year department member and current fire safety educator. \"We have fire trucks that we cannot man that are just sitting idle. We have other fire trucks that have 2 people on them. Two people is not safe for Newton County citizens.\" Franklin came during the general citizen-comments portion of the meeting to describe staffing and readiness concerns.

Why it matters: Franklin said understaffing affects both firefighter safety and public safety because apparatus may run with insufficient crew sizes or remain out of service. He asked the board to take steps to address recruitment, retention and staffing so fire units can be safely operated.

Board response and context: Commissioners acknowledged the comment and the need to consider public-safety staffing amid competing budget and service demands. The item was presented during public comment; no formal action or vote followed during this meeting. Franklin said he prays for department members and is seeking board support to prevent the consequences of inaction.

Next steps: The board did not announce immediate follow-up steps during the meeting. Franklin’s remarks add to ongoing fiscal and operational discussions county leaders will weigh as they implement the adopted FY26 budget and consider public-safety staffing and resource allocations.","A Newton County firefighter told commissioners the county’s fire department is losing personnel, leaving apparatus undermanned and creating safety risks; the board heard the appeal during citizen comments but took no immediate action at the meeting.",{"_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},6194984,"Newton County adopts $143.6 million FY26 budget, estimates 8.6 millage rate",262,663000,925000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3862825-c58e67d8cc67704574a94ca378962969&start=663&end=925","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3862825-c58e67d8cc67704574a94ca378962969/thumbnail_663000.jpg","/articles/6194984/Newton-County/Georgia/Newton-County-adopts-1436-million-FY26-budget-estimates-86-millage-rate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6194984-6406408eebf3c97688ba4c0e39600f86/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156411&Signature=GjVYK3Jga3BL4YkIgpbk3a1LwznhPBM5JIq88nkAGKqdBYDxLyPLD6j9qiqH~S7cFZrsJ6Ee-vxlTk8HNqBhVnO1YR~vi2fXw08s5xZktf-MImZynsUifnfEqwI7yPbpiPKc9GHD0qL~yhMyFkVlmIo13mAm~jkgppPeGCUpJ9S77sorSMPGLXkJ6Fkgskfsqndcglv~RIgmfdxPZ8~Gts7~tZ-rDc-9v5iiTaNhCeUb0-xeISUUfHBfI~RFIGhO9nXwHG8WtfOtJSfkQGX-asf4DNZ4zJ5tDSA4A4VsPpZPYN2~9cMKvjh7XIeVQWn5HE2i7d8xGt0WUvrVvTJR4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted June 17 to adopt the countywide fiscal year 2026 budget and an accompanying appropriations resolution, approving a proposed total budget of $143,600,000 and authorizing related appropriations.

Finance Director Britney White told commissioners the approved budget covers all county funds — general, special revenue, capital and enterprise — and includes a compensation-and-class plan increase of $3.7 million, a health insurance cost increase of about 14% (roughly $1.5 million), a $1.75 million contingency for new positions and uses $4 million of fund balance. \"So the total budget for the FY26 proposed amount is a $143,600,000,\" White said as she reviewed highlights.

The budget package identifies spending for public works (including $1 million for bridge repairs and $750,000 for culvert replacements), a $245,000 virtual server upgrade, a $1,176,000 debt payment tied to an energy upgrade loan to ABM/Huntington Bank, and a departmental move that shifts the Keep Newton Beautiful program from the general fund to the solid waste fund. White also presented an estimated millage rate of 8.6 and said that equates to an estimated $94 increase on a $300,000 house; she noted the final tax digest had not yet been certified.

Why it matters: the budget sets the county's spending priorities for the coming fiscal year and includes personnel and infrastructure investments that affect county operations and services. White framed personnel services as the largest single component of the general fund at 66.1% of expenditures, followed by contracted services, supplies and debt service.

Discussion and vote: Commissioners asked clarifying questions about changes since the last presentation, the ABM-related borrowing, and minor departmental adjustments. Commissioner Edwards moved to approve the budget resolution as presented; the motion passed and the board then approved the external appropriations resolution. During the adoption of the first resolution a commissioner withheld a vote. County counsel explained that Georgia law does not compel an elected official to cast a vote and that the county charter addresses only specific circumstances for abstention or absence.

Commissioner Long praised staff and fellow commissioners for the work on the budget, saying, \"you gotta work together with your people\" and emphasizing the need to support county employees. Commissioner Mason urged colleagues to avoid using abstentions as a substitute for voting, calling for officials to cast affirmative yes or no votes when possible. County counsel explained the charter and state law encourage votes but do not provide a mechanism to force a member to vote.

Next steps and context: With the budget resolutions adopted, the county will proceed to adopt a final millage rate in a later step once the tax digest is certified. White said the millage figure shown is an estimate. The budget presentation also included the May financial report and other departmental updates that staff said informed the final numbers.

No legislation or contract award beyond the budget resolutions was executed as part of this item; the board approved the two resolutions to adopt the FY26 budget and appropriate funds for the coming year.","The Newton County Board of Commissioners on June 17 adopted the countywide fiscal year 2026 budget and an external appropriations resolution, approving a $143.6 million spending plan that includes pay raises, insurance cost increases and a $4 million use of fund balance; one commissioner withheld a vote during the adoption.","actionData","errors"]

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Resident warns Newton County could lose $4 million HUD Westside grant without required documents

Newton County firefighter warns department ‘in crisis,’ urges board action

Newton County adopts $143.6 million FY26 budget, estimates 8.6 millage rate