Whitfield County approves multiple budget amendments and grant actions including LMIG paving funds and senior-meals grant

Whitfield County commissioners approved a package of budget amendments, grant acceptances and applications that county staff said will fund road paving, senior meals and other programs. The Board approved a $2,000 budget amendment tied to an opioid settlement and a match for a completed CHIP housing project, a motion moved by Commissioner Staton and seconded by Commissioner Robbins, passing 4-0. Commissioners separately approved a budget amendment to cover costs from a record number of board-of-equalization appeals (about 4,700 appeals were cited) after a motion by Commissioner Robbins and a second by Commissioner Staton. The county accepted a Local Maintenance & Improvement Grant (LMIG) award of $1,560,000 to support paving projects; commissioners voted 4-0 to receive the grant. County staff and commissioners said LMIG-funded paving helped deliver more than 30 miles of resurfacing last year and will be prioritized alongside remaining SPLOST projects. On transit, the Board authorized applying for a federal grant (identified in the meeting by its project number) that helps pay for vans and buses; the motion to apply passed 4-0. Commissioners accepted a $75,000 senior-meals grant from the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission to support up to nearly 6,000 meals; that motion passed 4-0. The Board also approved awarding $50,000 in grant-funded leadership training services and approved auctioning three surplus public-works vehicles on GovDeals. Each item passed by unanimous vote; staff described the amendments as routine program administration to align budgets with grants, court-settled funds and operational needs.