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Cusseta‑Chattahoochee adopts FY2025 budget, will use reserves to cover remaining shortfall
Summary
After two public hearings, the Unified Government of Cusseta‑Chattahoochee County adopted its FY2025 budget on June 24, 2024, approving a plan that draws on reserves to close an estimated $198,000 gap while county leaders pledged closer oversight of departmental spending and future amendment requests.
Chairman Charles Coffey and County Manager Thomas Weaver told the public the commission voted June 24 to adopt the Unified Government of Cusseta‑Chattahoochee County’s FY2025 operating and capital budget, using reserve funds to cover a remaining shortfall the manager said had been reduced to about $198,000.
County Manager Thomas Weaver said the commission began budget work with departmental requests that left the county roughly $2 million over projected revenues. After several rounds of line‑item reductions and additional adjustments, he reported the deficit had been reduced to approximately $621,000 and later to about $198,000, and he recommended using the county’s reserves rather than imposing additional cuts he considered “not educated or not thought out.”
“Every year, departments need to explain when they request an amendment,” Chairman Coffey told the meeting, saying commissioners must hold departments and constitutional officers accountable for spending and that there are only two ways to fix a structural shortfall: cut spending or raise taxes. “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.”
The commission held two public hearings (June 4 and June 24) during which commissioners pressed for additional scrutiny of large budget lines, including public safety and the newly formed EMS function, and asked department heads to justify future amendment requests in public. Commissioner Jason Frost and Commissioner Gerald Douglas made and seconded the procedural motions to adjourn hearings, which were recorded as unanimous.
At the called meeting on June 24 the motion to approve and adopt the FY2025 budget was moved by Commissioner Timothy Biddle and seconded by Commissioner Gerald Douglas; the minutes record the vote as unanimous. The adopted budget becomes effective July 1, 2024.
County Manager Weaver told commissioners he intends to start budgeting earlier in the next cycle to avoid compressing most work into a 90‑day window. He said he expected to close the remaining gap by the end of the fiscal year through continued adjustments and monitoring.
The commission did not specify line‑by‑line cuts in the meeting minutes; commissioners said departments that exceed their approved budgets should present amendment requests and public explanations to the commission before any funds are moved. The next regular meeting, per the minutes, will include routine agenda items and any department requests that require formal amendments.
