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County presents FY2026 budget proposal; Solicitor General urges higher prosecutor pay
Summary
Coweta County administration presented a proposed FY2026 budget and a possible November referendum for an additional penny of sales tax to reduce property taxes; Solicitor General Amy Godfrey asked commissioners to increase attorney salaries and add victim-advocate staffing amid 19 months of vacancies.
County administration presented the proposed FY2026 operating and capital budgets on July 15, outlining revenue assumptions, proposed personnel requests and several structural changes including potential special service districts for countywide 911, EMS and parks/recreation and a proposed referendum to add a penny of local option sales tax (FLOS) to reduce reliance on property taxes.
Finance staff emphasized changes driven by recent state legislation (House Bill 581 on the floating homestead and House Bill 92 changes to assessment notices) and said the proposed budget totals approximately $82.3 million. The presentation stressed personnel and merit increases, restoration of some services, new funds for parks and EMS, and use of the county's budget calendar to bring millage-rate hearings in August.
During the budget public hearing, Amy Godfrey, Coweta County Solicitor General, urged the board to boost attorney pay and approve a victim-advocate position. "We have been understaffed for 19 months," Godfrey said, noting recruitment offers have been rejected due to pay disparities and that her office has more than 4,000 active cases. Another prosecutor in the meeting urged a countywide compensation study to align recruitment with the Metro Atlanta market.
No final vote on the budget was taken; staff requested consideration of the FY2026 budget at the Aug. 5 meeting and said millage-rate public hearings would follow.
