Macon-Bibb to use $2 million from school camera fund to boost starting pay for deputies; $1 million directed to schools

The Macon‑Bibb County Board of Commissioners on April 1 approved ordinances sending two new appropriations from the county’s school public‑safety camera fund: $2,000,000 to recruit and retain public‑safety employees for the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and $1,000,000 to the Macon‑Bibb County School System for school resource officers, crosswalk improvements and related safety measures. The measures were moved and passed during the pre‑commission meeting and will be placed on the consent agenda for the commission’s regular meeting.

Why it matters: The $2 million allocation is intended to raise the starting salary for non‑certified deputies by $5,000 to make Bibb County more competitive in recruiting entry‑level officers, officials said. County leaders described the $1 million for the school system as funding SROs, crossing‑guard support, crosswalk lighting and small infrastructure repairs the schools identify.

County leaders said the funds derive from a state‑authorized school public‑safety camera program that generated designated revenue for local public‑safety initiatives. Mayor Miller (speaking as the meeting’s sponsor) summarized the fund balance and prior appropriations during the meeting: he said the county had received $8,909,152.76 in camera revenue to date, had appropriated roughly…