County pulls BridgeFest intergovernmental agreement after commissioners question staffing and costs

An intergovernmental agreement (IGA) under consideration Sept. 3 to provide Henry County in‑kind services for the City of Stockbridge’s BridgeFest/Hispanic Fest was removed from the Board of Commissioners’ agenda after commissioners raised questions about cost, staffing and precedent.

Parks and Recreation staff brought an IGA that initially listed $25,260.74 in in-kind county services; staff later recalculated the county contribution at $44,018.95 after accounting for overtime and fringe benefits for public-safety officers and other staff. The county’s proposed contribution included sheriff’s or special-operations officers for security and traffic control for the festival footprint outside the amphitheater, parks and recreation staff to operate a kids zone and event equipment (inflatables, face painting, balloon arch), and in-kind support for traffic.

Commissioners asked whether the city already has established sheriff agreements for events at the amphitheater, whether county officers would be pulled from patrol duties or provided as overtime, and whether the county should fund events that are primarily city-run. Commissioner Ross and other commissioners expressed concern about setting a precedent for funding city events and about sinking a large share of parks-and-rec event funds into a single city festival. District commissioners said they had expected only a limited partnership—mainly a small kids zone—rather than the expanded public-safety staffing item that staff presented.

After discussion, the board considered a motion to remove the IGA from the agenda; a motion to remove the item passed by voice vote and the item was not approved. County staff said they had started the collaboration at the request of a district commissioner and that the county act as requested; commissioners who objected said the item reached the agenda before final agreements on scope and funding were settled with the city.

County staff said parks-and-rec could absorb some of the event expenses within its existing event budget for inflatables and entertainment, but overtime for public-safety staffing and some maintenance/support costs would raise the county’s in-kind total to the higher figure. The item’s removal means the county and city must rework scope, cost-sharing or the staffing approach before the county provides services for the Sept. 27 event.