Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Long County adopts $15.46 million FY 2026–27 budget and votes to close convenience centers once transfer station opens
Summary
The Long County Board of Commissioners adopted a $15,462,194.03 General Fund budget and voted to reduce the residential solid waste assessment to $239.75 per household while closing both convenience centers effective Feb. 1, 2027, as a new transfer station opens in late January 2027.
County Manager Shane Richardson presented the Long County proposed Fiscal Year 2026–2027 budget and solid-waste options at public hearings in June, and the Board of Commissioners adopted the budget on June 30.
The adopted General Fund totals $15,462,194.03, about $2.3 million (12.9%) less than the current fiscal year. Richardson told commissioners the reduction largely reflects a smaller operating budget for the Long County Correctional Facility, establishment of a separate Enterprise Fund for solid waste, creation of a contingency fund, elimination of carryover debt and reallocation of a number of expenditures.
On solid waste, the Board chose Option 2: reduce the residential assessment to $239.75 per household, use the new county transfer station and close both convenience centers effective Feb. 1, 2027. Commissioners were told the transfer station is expected to be operational by late January 2027, weather permitting. The transfer station is intended to improve efficiency through reduced hauling distances and enable weight-based user accounting. Sam Sullivan of AllGreen Services advised the Board that continuing to collect solid-waste fees through the property tax bill would limit uncollectible accounts and said transfer-station efficiencies could lower costs over time.
Commissioner James Craft moved to approve Option 2; Commissioner Benji Strickland seconded and the motion passed. The Board then adopted the FY 2026–2027 Budget Resolution on a motion by Commissioner Strickland, seconded by Vice Chairman Gerald Blocker.
The budget includes a 1.48% cost-of-living adjustment for county employees and adds positions in Recreation, Fire, Planning and Zoning, Code Enforcement and Animal Control. Richardson said several departmental changes accompany the new enterprise accounting for solid waste and that future SPLOST revenues are expected to offset some capital and operational expenses.
A citizen asked about the remaining correctional-facility debt during the June 25 workshop; Richardson said the facility was originally financed for approximately $27 million and estimated a remaining balance of about $25 million after two bond payments, with annual debt service of roughly $1.1 million paid twice per year. A detailed payment schedule is available, he said.
What happens next: the county will close the convenience centers Feb. 1, 2027, per the motion, and transition users to the transfer station once it opens. The Board directed staff to monitor convenience-site schedules and enforcement needs while the transfer station comes online.
Votes at a glance: Commissioner James Craft moved approval of the solid-waste Option 2; Commissioner Benji Strickland seconded. The Budget Resolution was adopted on a motion by Commissioner Strickland and a second by Vice Chairman Gerald Blocker.
