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County auditor releases organizational review, finds staff-to-citizen ratio lower than at unification
Summary
The county auditor presented an investigative audit of organizational structure, facilities and staffing ratios and highlighted that staffing per capita is now lower than at unification; commissioners praised the report and requested copies for review over the holidays.
Auditor Gavin Hessmer presented an investigative audit of Athens-Clarke County's organizational structure, summarizing departmental charts, facilities and staff-to-citizen ratios and offering points of interest to aid the manager and commission.
Hessmer said the analysis compared similar jurisdictions, tracked historical staff growth and tabulated administrative layers and BAC liaisons; the auditors found the current staff-to-citizen ratio is lower than at unification, primarily because population grew faster than government positions. "That can sometimes be a misconception that the number of positions allocated with each department is growing at an inconsiderable rate when in fact we're not," Hessmer said.
Commissioners thanked the audit team and asked staff to distribute copies for holiday review. Several commissioners said the document provides useful background for budget and organizational decisions in the coming year and requested related materials on space modernization and facility plans.
The commission did not take action on the audit itself; staff will include the report as part of budget and organizational work in early 2026.
