Bulloch County leaders weigh using reserves, raising fees or cutting services to close $2.4M–$5.3M budget gap

Bulloch County commissioners were briefed Tuesday on a working fiscal 2026 budget that shows a shortfall between about $2.4 million and $5.3 million, depending on whether the board implements a full statutory rollback of the millage rate. County Chief Financial Officer Christy King and Deputy Chief Appraiser Bobby Fisher presented revenue scenarios and state-law tax changes that commissioners said will guide near-term decisions.

The presentation laid out three primary options: keep the current millage rate and use roughly $2.4 million of fund balance; enact a partial rollback (0.25 mills) and use about $3.4 million of fund balance; or enact a full statutory millage rollback and use roughly $5.3 million of fund balance. Commissioners did not vote on any measure and said they will release a tentative line‑item budget next week and hold required tax hearings if they move forward without a rollback.

King told the commission she updated the tentative county budget and reduced a previously presented total from $74,355,683 to a working figure of $71,917,870, in part by correcting a health‑insurance calculation and by removing several requested positions. She said many of the county’s largest costs are personnel tied to public safety and public works and that those…