Rockdale trims Boys & Girls Club contract to $100,000 after public pleas

The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 25 approved a change order reducing the county’s professional-services contract with the Boys & Girls Club of Rockdale County from $125,000 to $100,000 for the 2025 calendar year.

The contract term is 01/01/2025 through 12/31/2025, and the county had already paid one quarterly installment of $31,250; future payments will be reduced so the total paid this year will not exceed $100,000.

The vote followed more than an hour of public comment in support of the club. David Jernigan, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, said the Rockdale site “is the place that was my second home” and described club programs that, he said, have offered mentorship, leadership and college-prep opportunities. “A phrase that I used to be very uncomfortable with … is ‘the club saved my life,’ ” Jernigan said.

Grandparents, parents and caretakers told commissioners the club provides essential after‑school supervision, meals and enrichment. Michelle Walcott, who said she is a single mother and business owner, said the club made it possible for her to work and build a stable life for her children: “Without the Boys and Girls Club, how would I have been able to drive Lyft when I got here, work in a restaurant within the same day, and clean someone’s house in the same day without the Boys and Girls Club?” she said.

At the same time, several commissioners expressed concern about the precedent of directing county funds to a nonprofit outside of an open application or competitive process. One commissioner said the contract “was creatively done to circumvent the policy that was already here,” noting the county’s general policy against direct nonprofit funding except where state law or mandate requires it. Another commissioner said the prior board’s action complicated the current board’s ability to treat similar requests consistently.

Board members also asked for greater transparency and for evidence of matching funds; county staff said the local board supporting the Rockdale club had identified $15,000 toward a $100,000 match goal. Commissioners said they expect to see community and business support alongside county funding.

Ending: The change order was approved by voice vote; commissioners did not read a roll-call tally on the record. County staff said the club’s local board is pursuing additional fundraising to match county support and that payments for the year will be adjusted to the approved $100,000 total.