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Commissioners approve $6.5M budget transfer for 2026 county road resurfacing
Summary
Newton County commissioners approved a $6.5 million transfer from fund balance to support the 2026 road‑resurfacing list and a related budget amendment amid SPLOST funding shortfalls.
The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously May 20 to approve a budget amendment allocating $6.5 million from the county’s fund balance toward the 2026 road resurfacing list.
Transportation Director Chester Clague presented the proposed road list and requested use of $6.5 million from the general fund balance to support paving projects. Finance Director Brittany White explained the technical effect: increasing the "use of prior year fund balance" revenue line and transferring those funds into the 2023 SPLOST account to replace money the county had previously reserved for general paving projects.
"Currently, there's right around $62,000,000" in the county fund balance, White said, and the transfer will reduce that amount by $6.5 million. The board discussed how the county’s 2023 SPLOST was apportioned across multiple projects and therefore lacked the single pool of money for general paving that prior SPLOSTs had provided.
Commissioner Edwards and others said using fund balance is appropriate to produce visible infrastructure work; Commissioner Long said future options could include returning to voters to redraft SPLOST allocations if the county decides to prioritize additional paving. The motion to approve the budget amendment and the 2026 road list passed unanimously.
Why it matters: The allocation directs significant county reserves to immediate road maintenance and responds to commissioners’ concerns that recent SPLOST structuring left less discretionary paving money available.
