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Coffee County commissioners review preliminary FY2026 budget, ask for 3%, 5% and 7% cost scenarios
Summary
County leaders reviewed a preliminary budget with an estimated $7 million fund balance and asked staff to return cost estimates for 3%, 5% and 7% across‑the‑board pay increases as they weigh capital needs and personnel costs.
Coffee County commissioners met May 8 to review a preliminary fiscal 2026 budget presented by county staff and to request workups showing the cost of three different pay‑raise scenarios.
The county’s finance presenter said, "We have a total fund balance right now of 7,000,000," describing the figure as an estimate carried forward into the proposed budget. Commissioners asked staff to model the budget effects of 3%, 5% and 7% across‑the‑board raises and to include part‑time and seasonal pay impacts.
Why it matters: commissioners said they want concrete dollar figures before deciding on a pay plan and to avoid creating unfunded commitments. The board is balancing persistent operating pressures — jail medical costs and rising maintenance agreements were singled out — against one‑time capital needs such as courthouse and library repairs.
Most important details: the presenter walked commissioners through the general fund revenue and expenditure worksheets and department detail pages, showing salary lines, benefits and maintenance agreements. The document in the packet included revenue projections, department line items and a blue divider for department detail.
Commissioners discussed several items that could materially affect the budget, including a large jail medical cost reported as "around dollars 500,000" in the current year; routine maintenance agreements rising across departments; and capital requests for air‑conditioning replacement and other large projects. A commissioner asked staff to return the 3/5/7% raise scenarios "That'll give us a good feel," the commissioner said.
The county finance presenter told the board he had not yet finalized revenue projections tied to the scenarios and cautioned that any pay increase would also raise employer Social Security and retirement costs. Commissioners asked for the three scenarios to be presented with the associated benefit and employer cost changes.
Matters left unresolved include the final recommended percentage and how to treat different categories of part‑time employees (seasonal summer workers versus year‑round part‑time staff), and whether some capital repairs should be funded from capital or operating funds. The board scheduled follow‑up work and asked staff to return with the requested comparative figures.
