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Cusseta–Chattahoochee County budget shows $59,000 contingency after insurance update; SPLOST to cover vehicles
Summary
County Manager Thomas Weaver told commissioners the draft FY25/26 budget moved from a $21,830 deficit to about a $59,000 contingency after an insurance update; he said SPLOST funds will pay for vehicle and capital needs and that a broker change is underway to seek lower premiums.
County Manager Thomas Weaver told the Unified Government of Cusseta–Chattahoochee County commissioners on May 27 that a recent insurance update raised the budget contingency to roughly $59,000 as staff finalized the FY25/26 spending plan.
Weaver said the draft budget previously showed a $21,830 deficit at an earlier May 6 public hearing but that reductions and new insurance information produced the improved contingency. He told the commission the new insurance figures arrived before notice from the county’s existing broker, and that staff has engaged a new broker to pursue lower rates.
Why it matters: the county is relying on contingency and SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) proceeds to cover a number of capital and vehicle needs. Weaver said SPLOST will be the preferred funding source for public‑works equipment and courthouse projects rather than the operating budget.
Weaver also briefed commissioners on several operational items that bear on the budget: the county is pursuing replacement of aging vehicles, including discussions about trading a sheriff’s vehicle to public works; commercial trash accounts that were not paying have been notified to open accounts; and the county expects the newly renovated splashpad to open around June 5. He said some projects could reduce year‑end budget pressure but added that insurance negotiations remain the principal variable.
Commissioners held two public budget hearings in May. At the May 6 work session Weaver had distributed updated handouts and reviewed the 2020 SPLOST list of capital outlay items. At the May 27 final public hearing the commission heard Weaver’s updated numbers and had no public commenters on the item.
Next steps: Weaver told the commission he would return with final insurance numbers and recommended budget language at the regular June meeting so the board can adopt the FY25/26 budget. The commission set several budget‑related items on the June 3 agenda, including formal adoption of the fiscal year budget.
