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Newton County economic development officials highlight rising tax digest, Staunton Springs returns and Highway 278 CID projects
Summary
County economic development staff and the Highway 278 CID described increases in the county tax digest, anticipated PILOT funds from Staunton Springs/Rivian and multi-million-dollar roadway projects on Highway 278 funded largely by federal/state grants; the CID asked the county to continue prior local commitments.
Newton County economic development staff briefed the Board of Commissioners on FY26 priorities, saying the county's digest and median household incomes have risen sharply and outlining resources returning from Staunton Springs development and upcoming Highway 278 projects.
The county presentation said median household income has climbed in recent years and unemployment is low; the office also reported a multi-year increase in the tax digest, noting 2024 was the highest year on record and that digest growth averaged about 13.8% over recent years. The presentation said Staunton Springs (including the Rivian site) has started generating PILOT-style returns: more than $5.5 million in pilot funds is expected to come back to the two counties, with Newton County's share described in the presentation as about $1.6 million and additional tax streams tied to Takeda of roughly $11 million with a Newton allocation in the low millions.
Representatives of the Highway 278 Community Improvement District (CID) described an active capital program along a 3.2-mile corridor and requested continuation of local support. The CID representative said Phase 1 of the Highway 278 reconstruction — including three roundabouts, streetscape and sidewalks — carries a total estimated cost of about $21.44 million. The presenter said grant funding for Phase 1 was finalized and that local commitments (about $1,000,200 total in local matches including $320,000 from the Board of Commissioners and $320,000 from the City of Covington) leverage state and federal funds at approximately a 17-to-1 ratio. The CID requested a level appropriation of $30,000 for FY26, matching FY25.
The CID presenter also described separately funded GDOT work — intersection improvements and smaller safety projects done with no local match — and said GDOT recently programmed an $11 million roundabout at SR 142 and Highway 278 that would be state- and federally funded and expected to reach construction in 2028. The CID said its efforts have increased assessed values within the district by roughly 34% in six years and that recent retail investments (new restaurants, a strip center and hospital office development) are not yet fully reflected in valuation data.
Commissioners discussed options for handling revenue streams such as the JDA funds and whether returned funds should be held in the general fund or placed in a dedicated account for targeted investment in infrastructure or taxpayer relief. Commissioner Henderson urged consideration of a separate fund to ensure returns from development benefit taxpayers as originally intended. Economic development staff and the JDA/IDA representative said further discussion and follow-up would be needed to establish allocation policy and to finalize how one-time or pilot receipts would be used.
Ending: Economic development staff and the CID said anticipated county revenue from large developments and continuing grant support for Highway 278 projects will shape capital planning; commissioners signaled interest in considering dedicated uses for returned pilot funds.
