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Russell County schedules budget workshop and final hearing as supervisors debate forensic audit tied to tax rate
Summary
The Russell County Board of Supervisors set a June 15 budget workshop and a June 24 final public hearing while members debated whether the county tax rate is contingent on a forensic audit. Officials said the county awaits state budget numbers that could affect the FY26–27 plan.
The Russell County Board of Supervisors voted June 1 to schedule a budget workshop on June 15 and a final public hearing on June 24 as staff continue to await state revenue figures needed to finalize the FY26–27 budget. County Administrator Mr. Lester told the board that the Department of Education, constitutional officers and sales-tax totals remain pending from the state, and the board must approve a local budget by June 30 under state code.
The schedule came amid a sharp exchange over whether the board’s previously discussed forensic audit is a contingency on the tax rate. Supervisor Nate Kaiser said he could not, “in good conscience,” vote on expenditures while a forensic audit tied to the tax rate remained undone. "The tax rate required a forensic audit to be done," Kaiser said during debate, calling for clarity about the board’s earlier motion.
The county attorney and other board members said the motion adopted earlier created a line-item for the forensic audit rather than making the tax rate contingent on the audit’s completion. "It appears to me it's for a line item to be made for the forensic audit, but it's not that the tax rate is contingent upon the forensic audit," the county attorney said, describing prior motions and how they were recorded. The board proceeded with motions on the calendar while members disagreed about the legal effect of the earlier language.
Why it matters: Russell County must finalize a budget by state-mandated deadlines even as state-level decisions — including a roughly $2 billion difference being negotiated over data‑center tax treatment — influence how much localities will receive for schools, courts and human services. The board’s decision to set dates gives staff deadlines to produce a working plan and preserves opportunities for amendment after state figures are released.
What’s next: The board will hold the public budget workshop on June 15 and the final hearing on June 24; the board may amend the budget after state numbers are finalized and, if needed, adopt changes by the June 30 deadline.
