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Cusseta‑Chattahoochee adopts FY2025 budget after trimming $1.8 million shortfall
Summary
After two public budget hearings and multiple line‑item cuts, the Cusseta–Chattahoochee County Commission voted June 24 to adopt the fiscal year 2025 budget, using reserves to cover a remaining shortfall of roughly $198,000 while managers continue work to balance future years.
The Unified Government of Cusseta‑Chattahoochee County adopted its fiscal year 2025 operating and capital budget at a called meeting on June 24, approving a plan that relies in part on reserve funds to close a lingering deficit.
County Manager Thomas Weaver said the county began the budget process facing roughly a $2,000,000 shortfall after department requests, then reduced the gap through successive line‑item adjustments to about $621,000 and, by the second public hearing, to roughly $198,000. "We started with a deficit of around $2,000,000 and now we are down to 198,000, only 10% off," Weaver said, forecasting further work to reach a fully balanced budget before the fiscal year advances.
Chairman Charles Coffey, who led the commission through two public hearings, said commissioners and department heads must be accountable for spending. "If we are going to have to start going into the reserve to balance the budget there are two fixes to it, either cutting expenses or raising taxes," Coffey said, adding that departments should seek amendments and publicly explain the reasons when they require additional funding.
The commission held two advertised public hearings — on June 4 and June 24 — before approving the budget. Weaver told the board the county’s projected revenues were just under $5 million while current expense projections totaled $5,153,475; the adopted budget authorizes using reserves to bridge the remaining gap while staff refines revenue and expense forecasts.
Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the budget at the called meeting. The board also signaled it will require departments and constitutional officers to publicly justify any budget overages, and Weaver recommended beginning next year’s budget process earlier than the current 90‑day window.
What happens next: the budget document was attested by County Manager Thomas Weaver and subsequently certified at the board’s July meeting. Staff will continue to pursue expense reductions, revenue adjustments and grant opportunities to avoid additional reserve draws in future months.
