Glynn County says fire department nearing full staffing; millage rate unchanged

Glynn County Manager Bill Fallon said the county’s fire department welcomed 17 new firefighters and expects to be fully staffed; the new hires are receiving emergency medical services (EMS) training as part of their onboarding.

“We have 17 new firefighters. . . we’re actually gonna get up to fully staffed,” Fallon said, adding that the county requires EMS capability because about three‑quarters of its calls are ambulance related and fire trucks sometimes arrive before ambulances.

Fallon also told the Good News Glenn broadcast that lifeguards remain on Glynn County beaches through Labor Day and that the county keeps lifeguards staffed on select holidays and high‑attendance days throughout the year.

On county finances, Fallon said the county’s millage rate will remain the same this year and noted the general‑fund millage is lower than when he became county manager in May 2022. “We actually have the third lowest millage rate in the in the state when it comes to our general fund,” Fallon said, and he credited the chief financial officer and department leaders for fiscal discipline. He encouraged residents to review the county’s budget information online, which he said is updated regularly.

Fallon also described an emphasis on performance measures tied to the county strategic plan and said those metrics will be reviewed during quarterly execution reviews scheduled for Aug. 12 and 14.

The broadcast did not include detailed budget figures, department‑level staffing charts, or independent confirmation of the statewide millage ranking. Fallon attributed the county’s ability to hold the millage rate to budget discipline and grant‑finding; he also referenced a local tax‑relief “waiver” (named in the broadcast) that, he said, keeps some residents’ property tax bills from rising.

No formal county vote or ordinance was reported during the broadcast; Fallon described administrative updates and personnel onboarding.