NEWTON COUNTY – On Tuesday, June 10, the Newton County Board of Commissioners (BOC) mentioned adjustments that had been made to the FY26 finances and opened up the assembly for public enter.
Finance Director Brittany White offered a slideshow that confirmed a lower within the whole finances for the reason that June 3 finances assembly.
The entire is now sitting at $145,799,561, which is a rise of 8.8% from the FY25 finances. That is down from the reported whole from final week of $149,890,041, which might have been an 11.9% enhance from the 12 months earlier than.
“We’re positively going line by line and doing our greatest to actually delve deep into each single division, actually taking a look at what they really spent within the earlier 12 months,” mentioned District 2 Commissioner Demond Mason.
Commissioners have additionally labored to lower the millage fee from final week’s proposed finances. Final week, the proposed millage fee was set at 9.3 mills, inflicting an estimated $175 enhance on a $300,000 home.
The brand new tentative millage fee is now set at 8.6 mills, which might be an estimated enhance of $94 on a $300,000 home. This is able to nonetheless be a rise from the 8.242 millage fee for FY25.
Whereas this can be a far cry from the unique 10 mil proposal in mid-March, residents nonetheless wished to see a bigger lower.
Covington resident Larry McSwain began by thanking commissioners for opting into Home Invoice 581, which offers a floating homestead tax exemption to the county’s householders.
McSwain additionally took the time to thank the BOC for following a steady pattern of decrease millage charges and requested to proceed that pattern in FY26.
“I’m fairly positive that most individuals on this viewers don’t count on a 9.3% revenue enhance or wage enhance this 12 months,” McSwain mentioned.
Douglas Johnson has been a resident of Newton County since 1973, and he echoed McSwain’s feedback relating to the millage fee.
Johnson informed the BOC they need to take into account placing a moratorium on the tax enhance till the property is offered.
Many senior residents on the assembly like Johnson introduced up the wrestle a tax enhance causes whereas dwelling on a hard and fast revenue.
“My social safety just isn’t maintaining together with your tax enhance,” Johnson mentioned.
Former Newton County commissioner Alana Sanders questioned why the BOC and White are evaluating millage charges from counties with related variations to Newton County.
Sanders mentioned that three of the counties listed – Morgan, Butts and Jasper – weren’t satisfactory for comparability because of their smaller inhabitants sizes and lack of considerable progress.
She added that, of the counties in White’s presentation, Walton County, which noticed a current inhabitants spike of 17,000 folks, was possible essentially the most similar to Newton. However Sanders asserted that Walton was nonetheless a comparatively poor equal, as its millage fee has not modified since 2021, whereas Newton County’s has fluctuated.
Sanders additionally commented on the finances, saying an auditor beforehand informed the board that the Stable Waste Authority can “run by itself” as a result of they’re making a revenue. She criticized Newton County for not reducing the amount of cash given to them because the comfort charge will increase.
“We have to take a look at our finances and take a look at how we will provide issues to offset the taxpayers,” Sanders mentioned. “Let’s do our analysis, people.”
Covington resident Barbara Morgan mentioned the finances must cowl the price of Newton County’s enhance in medical and healthcare bills.
“We’re all experiencing that,” Morgan mentioned. “We will’t count on the county to eat that.”
Morgan acknowledges that this enhance may trigger a rise in personnel prices however admits she is all for it if it means preserving good folks employed.
A number of residents who spoke on the assembly have been confused about what the SPLOST can and can’t cowl. District 1 Commissioner Stan Edwards spoke to carry some readability surrounding these questions.
“All people is aware of these SPLOST initiatives created some personnel wants, and whether or not we like these initiatives or not, they have been voted on by the citizenry,” Edwards mentioned.
Whereas the board is predicted to vote on the FY26 finances on June 17, it appears as if extra finances cuts could also be in retailer.
“We’re nonetheless trying,” mentioned District 5 Commissioner LeAnne Lengthy. “Simply know that the fervour is right here from this board to try this and to go line for line.”
