Walton County adopts $107 million FY27 budget; county millage rate held steady

The Walton County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt the county's fiscal year 2027 budget on a voice vote after several hours of presentation and debate. The budget approved by the board totals roughly $107 million and, county officials said, would keep the county's portion of the millage rate unchanged if the digest arrives as projected.

The budget plan relies in part on a projected $4 million increase in property-tax revenue driven by digest growth, county staff told commissioners. Tommy Knight, the county's tax assessor, explained changes to assessment notices and how the state's Homestead Tax Relief Grant (HTRG) will appear on bills, saying, "The state came this year and said we're gonna make a change to the notice." Knight described the HTRG as an $18,000 credit to assessed value (not market value), which staff estimated would translate to an average homeowner savings of about $500 when the credit is applied on tax bills.

Commissioners and staff also discussed personnel and operating drivers in the budget. County staff said recently opened facilities and the staffing needed for a new jail increased the personnel baseline; staff noted dozens of authorized positions remain unfilled and that hiring progress could reduce an estimated $3 million of unrealized payroll costs carried into the new year. Finance staff described an arbitrage repayment tied to bond-investment earnings that will appear in FY27; county officials cited a single-item arbitrage estimate near $2.7 million and also referenced a larger multi-year arbitrage obligation previously discussed by the board.

Commissioner (speaker 4) moved to adopt the budget and Commissioner (speaker 8) seconded the motion. After discussion about whether to delay approval or remove newly requested positions, the board voted to approve the budget as presented. Chairman David G. Thompson said the motion keeps the county portion of the millage rate the same "if the digest comes in as we predict."

The vote allows county departments to proceed under the FY27 spending plan; staff said the county will continue to refine hiring and operating projections as actual digest and revenue figures are finalized.

What happens next: The county will close the fiscal year with required year-end amendments as invoices and final accounting are processed and will move forward with implementation steps included in the adopted FY27 plan.