Camden County budget committee trims $2.23 million but draft FY26 still shows roughly $2.0 million shortfall

Nancy Gonzales, chief financial officer for Camden County, presented the budget committee’s draft of the fiscal year 2026 budget and told commissioners the committee reduced department requests by $2,230,000 but the draft still carries a shortfall of about $2,003,270.

The deficit, Gonzales said, results from projected revenues of about $46,155,000 against initial departmental requests totaling $50,385,000, and the committee’s net adjustments brought the draft to roughly $48,159,000 — an overall increase of $608,000 (about 1.28%) from FY25. “By state law, OCGA 36-81-3, requires that local governments … adopt and operate under an annual budget,” Gonzales said in her presentation.

Why it matters: the county’s fund balance and timing of federal reimbursements could affect whether Camden uses reserves to balance FY26. Gonzales said the county’s finance policy targets a 25% fund balance reserve and noted the county is projecting to use about $2,072,000 of fund balance in FY25; if that use occurs the reserve would still be above the policy target but trending downward.

Major budget drivers and committee decisions

- Revenue mix: Gonzales highlighted that ad valorem (property) taxes and local-option sales tax make up about 75% of general fund revenue. The draft assumes no additional fund-balance carryforward to balance revenues and expenditures.

- Committ…