Clayton County Board of Commissioners FY2025 Q2/Q3 Performance Review

On February 12, 2026, the Clayton County Board of Commissioners convened for the fiscal year 2025 quarter two and quarter three Clayton Performance Review presentations. Deputy Chief Operating Officer Landry Merkison welcomed citizens, and department leaders presented goals, accomplishments, challenges, and next steps for communications, transportation, building maintenance, procurement, parks and recreation, UGA Extension, senior services, elections, tax assessment, and corrections. No formal votes were taken. Note: The transcript references FY2025 Q2/Q3 and 2025 calendar dates (e.g., April 25, May 16, May 3), which appear inconsistent with the stated meeting date of February 12, 2026; the content below reflects the transcript as delivered.

Office of Communications

• Tony Miles, Communications Manager, presented on behalf of Communications Administrator Valerie L. Fuller. The office described its mission as building trust and engagement through open, honest, two-way communication.
• The office received 638 communications distribution requests across Q2 and Q3. Q3 creative services requests reached 129, the highest in the last four quarters; media production requests remained steady with a slight Q3 increase.
• For Government Communicators Month in February, the office hosted an internal training for 40 Clayton County employees featuring panelists including WSB reporter Tom Jones, Project Production Manager Heather Middleton, and Vivian Thoralt from Eleven Alive.
• The office supported 79 community events and meetings, completed 17 Clayton Connected resident videos, and released more than 20 employee recruitment/retention videos.
• Social media followers increased on all platforms except X, formerly Twitter; engagement rates were mostly flat or decreased. The office reported a two percent increase in news and newsletter open rates and LinkedIn engagement.
• The office coordinated two groundbreaking ceremonies for Fire Station One, Fire Station 15, and Fire Headquarters, and had nine advertisers across radio, newspaper, magazines, digital media, and physical ads.
• Challenges included brand/logo misuse and an ineffective social media strategy. The proposed solution was to develop a best-practice social media and marketing policy aligned with county goals, plus additional internal training.

Transportation / Public Works

• The presenter reported that the Rex Road Sidewalk Project is nearing completion and on schedule after about six months of no work because of utility relocation.
• The Grant Road Sidewalk Project is behind schedule because of utility delays in design from the Clayton County Water Authority and Georgia Power, which may delay construction bidding.
• The Creel Road/Flat Shoals Road Sidewalk Project is currently on schedule but also experiencing utility delays in design; bidding may need to move.
• The Terra Boulevard Pedestrian Project, adding sidewalk and lighting from Interstate 75 to the county line, is on schedule but just beginning a long duration.
• The 2024 resurfacing program was completed on schedule; the 2025 program is on schedule. A live resurfacing status map on the TND website is updated weekly and shows estimated and actual costs per road and filtering by commission district.
• The Mount Zion/Battle Creek Road Construction Project, the county's largest road project, is more than a quarter complete and on schedule despite utility delays; the presenter cited utility poles surrounded by asphalt on Bower Creek Road as an example.
• Transportation staffing remains about two-thirds filled and one-third vacant, which the presenter said has been steady for several years.
• At the landfill, March had the highest tonnage and revenue; just under 50% of total tons brought in produce revenue.
• The department's central challenge is utility relocation delays, addressed through ongoing communication and urging utilities to move so roadwork can proceed.
• Future initiatives include an updated comprehensive transportation plan funded through the regional commission, identification of projects for a proposed 2027 SPLOSS initiative, and GDOT recertification.

Building Maintenance

• Marty Fox, Interim Director, reported that the department maintained 80% occupancy of positions from August 2022 through March 2025.
• Challenges were limited staffing, delays in maintenance, and communication/oversight. Proposed solutions included prioritizing essential maintenance and scheduling regular check-ins with facility leads.
• Future initiatives focused on departmental growth and development of the SPLOSS 2026 program.

Central Services

• Central Services is the county's procurement department. Average purchase order cycle time was 8.6 days against a goal of under 10 days; in Q3, the department processed 1,805 purchase orders with an average of 8.54 days.
• No small local business enterprises (SLBEs) were certified in Q2; two were certified in Q3. The department reported meeting its annual 12% SLBE growth goal with a value of "4" as stated.
• Employee development exceeded targets: FY2024 training growth was 3.3% against a 3% goal, and FY2025 was 9.67%. One employee earned Certified Professional Public Buyer certification and two earned Georgia Certified Purchasing Associate certification.
• Preventable vehicle accidents were 21 in Q2 and 18 in Q3, with defensive driving courses offered to reduce accidents.
• Challenges included staff retention and hiring. Short-term solutions included developing tier levels and certification incentives, a contract administration plan, use of the RFx management module in Bitner to streamline evaluations, and expanding the mentor-protege program for small local businesses.

Parks and Recreation

• The department installed 14 new security cameras at River's Edge trails in Q3, exceeding the annual goal of 10 new cameras per year.
• Customer satisfaction was 94% in Q2 and 93% in Q3 against an 85% goal.
• Full-time staffing was 92% in both quarters, below the stated ideal of 100%.
• The department reported 286 athletic volunteers so far in FY2025, including 41 in Q2 and 119 in Q3, against a goal of over 300.
• Six signature events were held, each with over 500 attendees; Q2 had nine events and Q3 had four.
• Recreation center memberships exceeded 2,100 in Q2 and 2,000 in Q3; youth athletic registrations were 754 in Q2 and 1,156 in Q3.
• Parks and recreation website views were over 78,000 in Q2 and over 128,000 in Q3 after combining the athletics website; Spivey Splash website views were over 7,000 in Q2 and over 25,000 in Q3. Google star rating held at 4.5.
• The department has over $100,000 in CDBG grant funding, fully allocated.
• Challenges included illegal dumping and safety at athletic programs. The department created a quarterly director's cleanup and increased security. Fees and charges policy changes were approved at the previous board meeting.
• Future initiatives included River's Edge phases three and four, new multi-purpose buildings and restrooms at Rex, Marlake City, Rum Creek, and Grant Road Park, and nine replaced or resurfaced playgrounds.

UGA Extension

• The department is part of a 159-county system providing research-based education in agriculture, environment, communities, youth development, and horticulture.
• The target is 50 programs per quarter across youth, adult, and family/consumer sciences program areas. Q2 was just shy of the target; Q3 youth programs increased to 51, while adult programs dipped due to onboarding of two administrative staff and a horticultural program assistant.
• The target of at least 600 participants was narrowly missed in Q2; Q3 youth participation increased exponentially.
• Q3 included 12 professional development trainings and seven certified volunteers, exceeding the goal of five.
• The main challenge was the reclassification of two administrative positions, vacant until January 2025 and previously grant-funded, leaving job descriptions misaligned with current work. Reclassification was placed in the 2026 fiscal year budget.
• Future initiatives included obtaining the reclassification and developing a three-to-five-year plan for a new building to address space and travel limitations.

Senior Services

• Director Tories Charter Tanks presented. In Q2, 81 employees participated in trainings and certifications; in Q3, 50 participated. The department remained on track with a goal of 24 employees, or 25% of staff, completing quarterly training.
• The department implemented 10 positive aging activities in each quarter, on pace for its annual goal of 50 activities. Activities included centenarian celebrations, veteran recognition, and a recorded segment titled "Finding Love in the Senior Center."
• Website performance grew from 28,678 page views and 5,937 new users in Q2 to 34,224 page views and 6,645 new users in Q3, a 20% increase meeting the KPI target.
• Grant expenditures were $214,335 in Q2 and $66,927 in Q3 because of a delayed grant amendment. The department received almost $900,000 in grant funding for in-home services; the amendment was approved, putting the department on track for FY25 spending.
• Silver Sneakers revenue was $16,251 in Q2 and $12,145 in Q3, both above the $11,900 target; the Q3 decline was attributed to insurers switching to alternative reimbursement programs.
• Active memberships were 7,643 in Q2 and 7,013 in Q3, above the retention benchmark.
• The challenge was spending grant funds on time; the proposed solution was to work with the regional commission, referred to as "Elantro" in the transcript, to expedite approvals, set earlier deadlines, and implement regular checkpoints.
• Future initiatives included a five-year strategic plan, professional development/succession/cross-training plans, a three-year marketing plan, and a Southern Crescent Senior Olympics.
• Mayfest will be held May 3, with a competitive walk at 9 a.m. and a main event from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.; the headliner was described as "Word Up Story formally of Cameo." Over 1,800 seniors had registered, a record-breaking number.

Board of Registration and Elections

• Elections Director Shauna Dozier presented. Q2 covered the November 2024 General Election and Q3 covered the March special election, explaining large differences in metrics.
• Voter education events were 24 in Q2 and 16 in Q3 against a goal of 12 per quarter; both goals were met.
• Customer satisfaction averaged 4.85 against a goal of 4. During November general election advanced voting, over 81,000 voters were processed in about one and a half minutes, compared with five to ten minutes in 2020.
• Election night results viewership declined for the special election compared with the general election.
• Challenges included training for new legislation, recruiting and retaining poll workers, and conducting the first Public Service Commission special election separate from the November general election.
• Short-term goals included preparing for the June Public Service Commission election, the primary, and the November general election, and working with the Office of Resilience and Sustainability on Web EOC for the 2026 midterms.
• Long-term goals included national certification for three of four managers; two are certified and one is in process. Dozier reminded residents to register to vote and update registrations for name or address changes.

Tax Assessors

• Chief Appraiser Emmett George presented. The department values all parcels, business and personal property, and processes about 10,000 deed transfers per year.
• The audit goal is 19,000 properties; Q2 and Q3 each stayed a little over 3,000, with Q4 finalization expected to exceed 19,000. The 2024 appeal season was closed out at zero.
• Department of Revenue compliance metrics included a sales ratio of 38.75 against the mandated range of 36 to 44, a coefficient of dispersion of 15, and a price-related differential of 1.0083.
• Challenges included appeal notice delays. Notices were hoped to go out April 25 but were delayed by formatting changes resulting from House Bill 92; the expected date was May 16.
• The document manager system was not fully operational; IT and the vendor were working on cloud conversion and the Q Public platform. Permit integration with Community Development was not yet fully connected.
• Future initiatives included completed field mobile training for appraisers, continued DOR certification, and pursuit of International Association of Assessing Officers certifications.

Corrections / Prison

• Warden Dennis Nelson presented. The Clayton County Prison contracts with the state of Georgia to house convicted state felons and uses inmate labor to offset county service costs. The department also includes code enforcement and refuse control.
• Prison capacity is 256; the department maintained 97.3% of maximum housing rate.
• A third GED instructor was added; four inmates graduated in the two quarters, with inmate transfers disrupting progress.
• Zero-turn grass mower crews increased from three to four, and refuse control added a fourth tractor crew, cutting response times from two weeks to one week.
• Code enforcement attended 12 community meetings, conducted 51 blitzes, and removed 4,545 signs from highways.
• Future initiatives included waiting on the Board of Commissioners' decision regarding mandatory trash pickup, with code enforcement overseeing compliance.

Key Outcomes

• No motions, votes, or formal decisions were made; all presentations were informational.
• Citizens were invited to submit questions or statements to "CPR questions at Clayton County GA.gov," with a promise of timely responses.
• Administrative next steps identified during the meeting included developing a new communications social media policy, addressing utility delays on road projects, seeking budget approval for UGA Extension reclassification, expediting grant approvals for senior services, planning for SPLOSS 2026, and awaiting the mandatory trash pickup decision.