Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Spalding County adopts fiscal 2026 budget, millage falls; commissioners' pay increase sparks lone dissent
Summary
The Spalding County Commission approved a $75 million fiscal year 2026 expenditure budget and certified a 15.45 mill rollback rate, while a proposed pay increase for commissioners drew a 3-1 adoption and public criticism about proposed service cuts.
Spalding County commissioners adopted the fiscal year 2026 expenditure budget Tuesday and certified an estimated rollback millage rate of 15.45, approving the budget on a 3-1 vote after hours of public comment and debate.
The budget, presented by County Manager Dr. Lehi Ledbetter, proposes roughly $75,000,006 in expenditures and staff described the plan as “extremely lean.” Ledbetter told the board the county is balancing an expenditure budget against a revenue budget while responding to state deadlines tied to House Bill 581 and its cleanup in HB 92.
The budget matters because it sets local spending levels for police, courts, roads, solid waste and other services and because it incorporatesthe county’s response to several state-driven costs. Dr. Ledbetter said staff factored in a new, unfunded state court judge that the legislature required and noted the county will carry only part of the first-year cost now and defer…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
