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County adopts flood-damage ordinance, approves contracts and bond actions; state alters CEVA/FIT disbursement approach
Summary
Commissioners adopted a FEMA-driven flood damage prevention ordinance, approved a capital-assets contract and a Justice Center service agreement, approved bonds for two residents, and decided to place recently changed FIT receipts (about $50,000) into county general pending later allocation.
Henry County commissioners approved routine business including an updated flood-damage prevention ordinance required by FEMA, accepted several contracts and bonds, and agreed how to handle a recent change in state disbursement of commercial vehicle excise (CEVA) and financial institution (FIT) tax receipts.
Speaker 11 introduced proposed Ordinance No. 2025-11-25003, describing mandatory FEMA-recommended updates that are transmitted to the state Department of Natural Resources for adoption. "Every 5, 6 years, FEMA comes out with a list of things they want to change," Speaker 11 said, explaining most prior changes were minor but this package contained a dozen or so items that required technical updates. After brief review and reassurance from staff that the changes were technical and necessary to remain in the flood hazard insurance program, Speaker 6 moved to adopt the ordinance; the motion carried 3-0.
On contracts and bonds: Speaker 4 described a continuing engagement with Hartman & Williams to update the county's capital-asset listings (bridges, roads, buildings) with updated values and depreciation; the board approved the revised contract price. The commission also approved a Justice Center service agreement (Piney) for the coming year after staff confirmed the contract price is roughly unchanged from the prior year. The board approved bonds for Lisa Loveless and Bill Upchurch.
On county finance: Speaker 4 explained the state has changed the way CEVA (commercial vehicle excise tax) and FIT (financial institution tax) are disbursed. Instead of the state assigning percentages to each city, town and county unit, counties must now determine how to distribute their share among functions (county general, reassessment, Cunebridge, health department, Memorial Park, CCD, and debt service). Speaker 4 estimated the county's FIT receipts at about $50,000 (last year approximately $48,000) and recommended placing the funds into county general for flexibility. Speaker 6 made that motion and it carried 3-0.
What happens next: Staff will track FIT expenditure and, if the board later decides on a percentage distribution, that decision must be codified by ordinance by June 1 under the new state guidance. Hartman & Williams will proceed with capital-asset work under the approved contract.
