Rockdale County unveils balanced $126.8 million proposed 2026 budget with public safety pay boosts

The Rockdale County Board held the first of two public hearings on the proposed 2026 general fund budget, where officials presented a balanced proposal they said targeted public safety pay, a countywide cost‑of‑living adjustment and efficiency savings.

“The budget is balanced, and I’m very excited about it,” said CFO Majid at the start of his first budget presentation to the board, describing a plan the county presented as $126,770,000 after an earlier roughly $17 million gap was closed through revenue and expenditure adjustments.

The proposal, introduced at the hearing, allocates roughly $60.27 million to public safety functions (including the sheriff’s office, fire rescue, 911, EMA, EMS, coroner and animal services) and includes targeted compensation adjustments and incentives for firefighters and sworn deputies. Officials said a countywide cost‑of‑living adjustment was also included so all employees received compensation increases.

County presenters emphasized efficiency measures and one‑time adjustments used to balance the budget. Presenter statements highlighted an in‑house custodial and HVAC maintenance plan that was estimated to save about $300,000 and described position reductions or repurposing of duties where vacancies occurred.

CFO Majid described year‑over‑year changes and organizational shifts that affected totals: he said EMA showed the largest increase (about $5.7 million) in part because risk‑management responsibilities—about $2 million—were moved from human resources into EMA, and the rest reflected public safety compensation and inflationary pressures.

Officials noted the general fund’s reserves meet recommended guidance: the presentation cited a fund balance above the Government Finance Officers Association recommendation (presenters said the reserve is approximately 41% of appropriation) and referenced a reserve set aside for the judicial/administrative complex (JAC). Presenters said a one‑time $3.5 million capital transfer from fund balance included in the prior year is not repeated in the 2026 proposal.

Board members asked several clarifying questions during a brief Q&A. When the chair asked about bond encumbrances, presenters said the budget includes about $5.5 million for the JAC bond payment and about $900,000 for the Sigman Road property. The board also discussed enterprise fund obligations: presenters said multi‑year vehicle and heavy‑equipment leases with Enterprise total roughly $1.4 million included in the budget, and that other enterprise fund debts are recorded separately.

On the timing of debt service, presenters said the JAC payment would increase to about $7.5 million in approximately two years, and final payments in the schedule run through 2027–2028 according to the presentation.

No formal vote was taken at the hearing. Officials reminded the public that the budget ordinance will move to first reading (noted for Nov. 10) and second reading/adoption (noted for Nov. 18) and that the full line‑by‑line budget and the presentation will be posted on the county website. Public comment was opened after the presentation but no members of the public spoke before the chair closed comment and adjourned the meeting.

The hearing transcript and materials posted by county staff should be consulted for specific line items and schedules; several numeric figures in the presentation were spoken rapidly and are recorded in the hearing transcript (for example, reserves and some comparative revenue line items) and may be clarified in the posted budget documents.