Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County presents draft FY2026 budget showing planned capital build‑out; board approves first reading
Summary
Finance Director Mark Barnes presented the first reading of Effingham County’s draft fiscal year 2026 budget, built around a 3% rollback of the county M&O rate and using about $7 million of fund balance to support planned capital projects. The board approved the first reading and scheduled adoption work ahead of the June 17 meeting.
Effingham County finance staff on Tuesday presented the first reading of the fiscal year 2026 draft budget, a spending plan that centers on a large capital‑project build‑out while proposing a millage rollback assumption and modest personnel increases.
Mark Barnes, the county’s finance director, told the Board of Commissioners the draft budget assumes a 3% rollback of the county maintenance‑and‑operations (M&O) millage for unincorporated properties, and that the county’s preliminary digest shows continued growth (digest up about 14% year over year). Barnes said the draft budget uses about $7 million in accumulated fund balance to help fund capital projects and that overall general‑fund expenditures in the draft are up roughly $9 million (about 18%), largely because of transfers out to capital funds (SPLOST and T‑SPLOST) and other one‑time capital needs.
Barnes said the county is budgeting significant capital work in FY2026: the special funds total about $298 million in the proposed budget, with roughly $192 million earmarked for capital projects and about $71 million set aside for road projects alone. Major projects specifically cited include the new wastewater treatment plant and a water treatment plant, and large park and stormwater projects received funding priority.
On personnel Barnes said the draft includes a proposed 3.3% cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA) across the board and a 2% merit pool; general fund full‑time equivalents (FTEs) increase from 401.75 (FY2025 adopted) to about 420.22 in the draft, while FTEs in special funds change modestly (153.24 to 153.74). The general‑fund personnel budget is projected to rise roughly 7% overall to cover COLA, merit and some position changes.
Barnes emphasized that although the draft shows a larger dollar budget for the general fund, $7.1 million of that increase represents planned use of fund balance saved over recent years to pay for capital that will start in FY2026. He said the draft leaves the county with reserves above policy minimums even after the planned fund‑balance use.
On taxes Barnes said the draft was built around a 3% rollback for county M&O; he explained the rollback number’s relationship to the allowable change in a homeowner’s taxable value and said rolling back 3% helps make the county M&O tax bill roughly constant for a typical homeowner despite rising assessed values.
Staff recommended, and the board approved, alternative 1: approve first reading of the FY2026 budget. Barnes said formal adoption is planned for the June 17 meeting (second meeting in June) after the required notices and any final board action on millage rates.
