Paulding County CFO presents levy for school bond debt service to commissioners

Anna Durham, chief financial officer for the Paulding County School System, presented a resolution to the Paulding County Board of Commissioners asking the board to adopt an ad valorem tax levy as a contingency to fund debt service on the Paulding County School District General Obligation Sales Tax Bond Series 2025.

“This levy is required by Georgia law to provide for funding if [sales-tax receipts] are not sufficient to pay those debt service payments,” Durham said, describing the statutory backstop and the bond’s intended uses.

Durham told commissioners the bond proceeds will be used to build a new elementary school; perform renovations and modifications at Dallas Elementary and South Paulding High School; build athletic multipurpose buildings at the district’s five high schools; and add new athletic field lighting. She offered to answer questions; none were recorded in the transcript and no motion or vote on the resolution appears in the meeting record provided.

The request is procedural: Georgia law requires a local levy be available to ensure debt-service payments if pledged sales-tax revenues fall short. Durham framed the resolution as a funding mechanism that would only be used if the district’s other pledged revenue sources cannot cover bond payments.

At the time Durham spoke, Commissioner Pollard introduced her to the board; the transcript does not show a recorded motion to adopt resolution 2025-13 or any roll-call vote. The board moved on to the next agenda item after the presentation.

If the board later takes a formal vote, that action would create the legally required levy; the transcript only records the presentation and the content Durham provided.