A resident, Mr. Clark, addressed the Appling County Commission during public comment to urge stronger local review of the proposed 2026 budget and to press the board for more transparency on several tax and revenue items. "I appreciate the opportunity to provide these comments on the proposed 2026 budget," Mr. Clark said, adding he had spent several hours reviewing the draft with County Manager Lovett.

Clark asked the commission to consider the new House Bill 581 floating local-option sales tax as a way to shift some property-tax burden away from non-homestead property owners. "I'd encourage the commissioners that now is the time for the commissioners to consider this option and hold public hearings to explore its pros and cons," he said. Clark suggested town-hall meetings to evaluate whether a local sales tax could offset property-tax impacts from the state homestead exemption.

He also requested detailed accounting for tax revenues from bitcoin mining and solar-panel fields, saying current materials do not show how much revenue those operations generate and raising zoning/enforcement questions. Clark asked who enforces the mobile-home decal tax and urged better oversight of decal collections and follow-up on nonrenewals. "It seems to be fair for revenue collections that more oversight is necessary on mobile home decals," he said.

Clark raised a separate concern that recreation events, such as weekend travel tournaments, are retaining the bulk of revenue while the county bears maintenance costs for fields and facilities. He asked the board to review contracts or agreements so the county receives an appropriate share for upkeep.

On public safety funding, Clark asked why the county does not have a paid county fire chief and urged the commission to consider creating a permanent chief position to coordinate countywide fire services. Clark also pressed for review of the fire millage rate, noting the fire department 2026 draft budget is about $707,000 and the current special fire millage was budgeted at $580,000 for 2025. He said preliminary calculations could result in collecting roughly $40,000 more than required if the millage is left unchanged and urged the commission to consider a rollback when the final tax digest is available.

Clark also questioned the figures on recent tax notices and the rollback-millage calculation, citing PT-21 and PT-32 forms and saying delays in completing the county tax digest affected the estimates mailed to property owners. He urged the board to publish the final PT-32.1 rollback calculation and the finalized 2026 millage rate for public review.

County Manager Reid Lovett responded to several points, noting staff had spent time reviewing the draft with Clark, explaining the use of estimated millage rates on the tax notices, and describing the ongoing reassessment process and the 45-day appeal window for taxpayers. Lovett said exemptions and the new homestead procedure have already reduced some taxpayers’ net taxable values and advised residents to consult the tax office about exemptions.

Why this matters: Clark’s remarks touch on items that affect county revenue, taxpayer obligations and distribution of tax burden across homeowners, businesses and utilities. Commissioners and staff acknowledged the need for additional public outreach and for finalizing state-required forms once the digest is complete.

Provenance: Mr. Clark’s public comment appears throughout the meeting’s public-comment block; key excerpts include his opening (00:04:33) and his discussion of rollback and PT-32 calculations (00:17:04).