The Clayton County Board of Commissioners held a regular business meeting on February 12, 2026. The meeting included presentations and proclamations, public comments, consent agenda approval, and discussion of multiple agenda items including fire truck financing, budget amendments, a de-annexation request, support for the HaunTeen Reality Haunted House, local assistance grants, civil service system changes, impact fee adoption, a lobbying contract, board appointments, and zoning decisions. The meeting concluded with an executive session on litigation and adjournment.
Fire Truck Financing and Purchase (Items 6 & 7) – Commissioner Davis questioned the interest rate (4.09%) and prepayment penalty with PNC Bank. Fire Chief explained $5.11M total purchase with $1M down payment; rate locked but facing November 1 price increase (~$153k). DCOO Merkison noted fire trucks were removed from 2027 SPLOST. Motion to approve resolution 2025-232 (lease-purchase agreement) failed (nays). Motion to table item 7 (cooperative purchase of six trucks) to November 4 passed.
Budget Amendments – Amendment 4-3 ($2,431,512.58) for fire fund carryover projects approved. Amendment 4-5 ($14,000) for property appraisals for mental health facility land approved after clarification that it only pays appraisals already authorized.
De-Annexation Request (Item 20) – Resolution to accept de-annexed properties from Lovejoy (for a smoke shop). Commissioner Allen opposed; motion to deny passed.
HaunTeen Reality Haunted House Support (Item 21) – Approved resolution; no specific county contribution was identified.
Local Assistance Grants (Items 25-26) – After discussion of amendments, board approved Amendment 2 (Commissioner Allen) which reduced DeFacts by $10,000, increased Melanated Pearl by $4,500, and increased Sisters Empowerment Network to $5,500. Resolution 2025-233 authorizing agreements with grantees passed.
Civil Service System Ordinance (Item 27) – First read of ordinance to add department directors back to civil service. DCOO Merkison explained it reverses a 2016 change and standardizes protections. Approved.
Impact Fee Program (Items 28-30) – Second public hearing. DCOO Merkison presented fee schedule (max fees: single-family home $2,388, apartment per unit $2,388, retail $0.52/sq ft, warehouse $0.21/sq ft). Public comments supported but requested road repairs and sound barriers. Board adopted Capital Improvements Element (Resolution 2025-217) and Impact Fee Ordinance (2025-226) with effective date April 1, 2026.
Lobbying Contract – GeorgiaLink (Item 31) – Debate over whether to wait for RFP. Motion to pull item failed; resolution 2025-227 approved (ayes), allowing GeorgiaLink to serve as lobbyist for one year while RFP runs in tandem.
Board Appointments – Code Enforcement Board: Pat Pillar appointed. Tax Assessor Board: Paris Scott Hundell appointed.
Zoning Decisions (Items 36-50) –
Note: The date of this meeting is given as February 12, 2026 per instruction, though all agenda and transcript materials indicate October 21, 2025. This summary uses the instructed date.
We can pull item 31 from the agenda. All right. Did you um did you all vote on to add this item to the agenda? Do you want us to vote to add it to the um the first one to the agenda for the um the budget amendment? So you want the budget amendment first and then we'll come back to item 31. All right, at this time I need a motion to uh add uh the budget amendment to the regular agenda. So move can I okay? Is there any discussion at this time? Are you ready for the vote? Second oh, I'm sorry, second, second, second. I thought I heard it was taken from next side. I'm sorry. All right, second, all right. Are you ready for the question? All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed. Any abstentions? The ayes have it, and the motion passes. Next um on the agenda is I'm asking the board to pull item 31 from the agenda. Um, can I get a second on that motion, please? Second, all right. Is there any discussion at this time? Is this the one pertaining to Georgia Link? Yes. And the reason why I'm asking us to pull it is because we said that um we said in previous meetings that we would do um is is Dietrich here. Can you come up, Dre? Mr. Seal. Thank you, Mr. C O. Mrs. Samford. All right. So I was we were talking about um, we were talking about doing an RFP um to find um to to have uh to find for professional services, and I was just trying to say ask the board if we could wait and get let the RFP go out before we adopt before we actually put someone in that position at this time. Um Commissioner Hampshire. Um, not only that, but if we could have well, I guess we would do the RFP and let the people come before us and do a presentation. Or whatever, so we can learn more about whatever we could say. So good evening, Chair and Vice Chair and Board of Commissioners. Yes, ma'am. So um a couple of meetings back when we're trying to solidify um a lobbyist in space, um, we bought some individual lobbyists. Um was the board's pleasure at the time to then move forward with an RFP. Um I believe the lobbyists firm that's before you tonight. Um you have the opportunity to um the pleasure of the board, whether you want to vote that in or not, but it doesn't preclude us from still doing the RFP. What would happen is it's my um my understanding that the lobbyists in place would be in space for a year, an annual for a year period of time. There's no renewals associated with that contract, and so we can run in tandem that for RFP, put that out as well, and once the contract or the resolution has um expired, then we can uh bring forth the lobbyists um or the the organizations that were vetted through central services from the RFP process. So you have the options of doing both. Um still moving forward tonight if that's the pleasure of the board. If not, we don't move forward, then the RFP is in space to find a lobbying firm, or you can do both by um pushing the person in or the organization in tonight. Understand that an RFP can run in tandem with that, so once the actual contract expires, then you have an opportunity to look at a new firm if it needs to be.