Commission approves opioid‑settlement purchases for EMS and sheriff, and adopts budget amendments

The commission received the county’s first‑quarter fiscal report from CFO Nancy Clark Gonzalez and approved several related procurement and budget items.

Gonzalez reported the general fund annual budget of $47,807,556 with $4.6 million in first‑quarter revenues and a year‑to‑date deficit of $7.9 million (improved from $9.2 million the prior year). She noted SPLOST 8 total collections at $69,149,699 and an ARPA residual balance of approximately $1,048,700 that must be expended by Dec. 31, 2026.

On opioid‑settlement spending, the commission approved a request from Camden County Fire Rescue to purchase two Lucas chest‑compression devices and eight AEDs (quote cited at $63,689). A letter read into the record from Chief Terry Smith argued the equipment would support first responders in opioid‑related emergencies. The CFO said the opioid fund balance before the purchase was $276,318; commissioners discussed whether a future budget amendment would be necessary and approved the purchase by voice vote.

The commission also approved the sheriff’s request to purchase two AutoPulse NXT resuscitation systems (sole‑source from ZOLL) for the jail and marine patrol at a cost the CFO presented as $43,000, citing operational preference and quicker deployment aboard waterways. That purchase was approved by voice vote.

Separately, the commission approved fiscal year 2025 budget amendments to reclassify certain ARPA‑funded lease expenses to the capital improvement fund per auditor guidance; staff said the transfer preserves single‑audit clarity and will be reflected in year‑end accounting entries. Commissioners also approved the 2026 meeting calendar and several routine encumbrances highlighted in the quarterly report.