Residents file public comments at Newton County millage hearing; record lists four contributors

Commissioner LeAnne Long, vice chair of the Newton County Board of Commissioners, opened the public hearing on the proposed 2026 millage rate on July 28, 2026 and invited members of the public to speak or submit comments. The meeting record lists public comments viewed or submitted from James Peterson; Linda Bezold; Autumn Thomas Bolton; and Ben. The transcript included the list of names but did not include the text of their remarks in the provided file.

The notice of the proposed millage and the public comment list were entered into the record after Dana Darby of the Newton County Finance Department read the Notice of Property Tax Increase. After the public comments were recorded, Commissioner Long closed the public hearing. Commissioner Stan Edwards moved to adjourn; Commissioner J.C. Henderson seconded, and the motion was approved. The minutes record the meeting adjourned at 6:14 p.m.

The transcript provided with these minutes does not contain verbatim statements from the listed commenters; the file lists their names as part of the hearing record. For anyone seeking the full text or audio of the comments, the county's livestream was cited in the minutes as the source where comments were viewed.