DeKalb commissioners approve substitute millage package after public hearing and calls for greater transparency

After a public hearing that drew questions about fairness and accountability, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on July 7 approved a substitute package revising the 2026 ad valorem millage rates and related budget changes. The package includes a proposed half‑mill increase for the unincorporated area (from 20.81 to 21.31 mills) and funding for a suite of county priorities including a housing investment program, workforce development, expanded healthcare access and compensation enhancements for firefighters and police.

Staff budget presenter TJ Siegel said the increase is intended to sustain staffing and services that county leaders have prioritized, noting the county plans to apply remaining EHOS (homestead) reserve credits to tax bills. Siegel estimated the half‑mill would change the average unincorporated homestead owner's bill by roughly $69 a year, and outlined a staged approach to credits that reduces the one‑time savings the county provided last year.

The vote followed more than an hour of public comment and commissioner questioning about spending oversight. Several residents asked why the county needed higher rates given EHOS property tax credits; Jimmy Easton of Carriage Hills asked what operational efficiencies were exhausted before raising taxes and requested a clear performance measurement plan for new expenditures. Commissioners pressed staff on transparency steps: Siegel and other administrators described the county's implementation of an OpenGov portal to publish budget and transaction details and an operational audit (Momentum; Malden & Jenkins) producing recommendations for efficiencies.

Commissioners also flagged the need for regular, board‑level financial review; several said quarterly financial statements and a public performance dashboard would help demonstrate that the new revenue is spent as promised. The board approved the substitute on a motion made during the meeting and carried at the vote machine; staff said they will proceed to submit the tax digest for certification and mail property tax bills in mid‑August.

The package funds both one‑time and ongoing priorities, including a $12 million initial allocation for services to unhoused residents and the creation of a community inclusion manager in the CEO's office. Siegel said the county expects to apply remaining EHOS reserves and continue to use outcome‑based budgeting to tie spending to measurable results. The board directed staff to continue improving public transparency and to provide the quarterly reports requested by commissioners as follow‑up.