Clayton County Board of Commissioners Regular Business Meeting – March 3, 2026

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners held a regular business meeting on March 3, 2026, at 6:00 PM, adjourning at 8:34 PM. The meeting included a Veterans of the Month presentation, public comments on ethics, a community garden, property taxes, and gun violence, approval of a consent agenda amended by the removal of one budget item, several board appointments, an emergency resolution to accept a military surplus fuel tanker, and an executive session for litigation and personnel.

Consent Calendar

• Approved as amended: The consent agenda was adopted unanimously after removing Item 10 (Budget Amendment 2-30, appropriating $5,080,413 from Central and Mountain View TADs to the Development Authority). The removal motion carried 4-0 following discussion about holding a work session for further review.
• Items approved on the consent agenda included ratification of prior meeting minutes, emergency change orders for Fire Station #1 ($70,727.13 total), notification of an emergency change order for the Lakeview Amphitheater ($297,863.05), contract amendments for Archives and Records Building ($1,348.60), awards for construction materials testing (multi-award to ECS Southeast, United Consulting, NOVA Engineering), a special purchase for library RFID equipment ($63,678.39/year for 5 years), a professional services agreement for dependency legal representation ($200,000 over 4 years), a CAD dispatch software upgrade ($35,685.00), and multiple budget amendments (2-28, 2-32, 2-33, 2-34, 2-35) and resolutions (2026-51 through 2026-56, authorizing library MOUs, a grant application for a small business incubator, removal of a parks board member, and library tech grant acceptance).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mickey Garber (Rex, GA): Expressed concern about the lack of an ethics board and requested a town hall to lower property taxes.
• Alise Williams (Lovejoy community): Spoke in support of restoring the Lovejoy Community Garden, which had been taken away from senior citizens, veterans, and cancer survivors; requested relocation or updated plan.
• Chastity Rowe (District 3): Detailed the timeline of the garden eviction, stating that resident suggestions for collaboration with the at-risk youth project were rejected, and requested written commitments from the commissioner.
• Rosa Davis (veteran): Supported keeping the garden for both at-risk youth and seniors to work together; offered horticulture expertise.
• Dr. Henry Anderson (District 3): Thanked the board for his recent appointment to the Clayton County Board of Health; noted his earlier resignation from the DBHDD Region 3 Advisory Council due to time constraints.
• Sharon Parker (Rex, GA): Requested a housing inspector to examine her property, which she believes is overvalued based on area sales, affecting her taxes.
• Cornell Madison (District 4): Questioned sheriff’s office spending on Netflix/Disney for jails, called for an audit, and stated he would file additional open records requests; expressed disappointment in district representation.
• David Hambrick (District 3): Highlighted quick tax return turnaround, urged residents to file, and criticized the lack of transparency in the ethics board, referencing the county’s ethics code.
• Carol Yancey (Rex, GA): Continued ethics board concerns, alleging improper closed meetings with county staff and the chairwoman, and requested removal of the current ethics board chair for failure to hold meetings or provide a budget.
• Olga Rodriguez (Clayton County resident): Spoke about her son’s death from gun violence, arguing the system failed because the alleged shooter was out on bond despite multiple warnings before the killing; called for accountability in bond decisions.
• China McClain (District 2): Announced a community event for National Crime Victims Rights Week (April 19–25, 2026), emphasizing victim support, healing, and trust-building between residents and leadership.

Discussion Items

• Emergency Resolution 2026-57 – Acceptance of Military Surplus Tanker Truck: The board added this item to the agenda and approved it after hearing from Police Chief that the truck (a 1990 model, 1,000-gallon additional capacity) would replace a leaking 1977 tanker at minimal transport cost ($2,000 from police budget; vehicle valued at $94,000). The motion carried 4-0.
• Removal of Budget Amendment 2-30: Commissioner Hambrick moved to remove Item 10 from the consent agenda, citing lack of information on the Development Authority’s use of funds. After debate (Commissioner Davis questioned timing; Commissioner Reeves confirmed funds are not from the general fund), the board voted to remove it and hold a work session for further discussion.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda Approved (minus Item 10): The amended consent agenda was adopted unanimously.
• Emergency Resolution 2026-57 Approved: Authorized acceptance and retention of a military surplus fuel tanker for the Police Aviation Unit.
• Board Appointments:
  • Animal Control Board: Dr. Eddie Gordon’s reappointment held until March 17; Gloria McCain reappointed (District 2) by Vice Chair Hambrick; Marvin Dixon appointed (District 3) by Commissioner Allen.
  • Parks and Recreation Advisory Board: Jabrie Fox appointed (District 4) by Commissioner Davis.
  • Clayton County Public Facilities Authority: Held pending notification from Vice Chair Hambrick.
• Executive Session: The board voted 4-0 (with one nay on a subsequent motion?) to enter executive session for litigation and personnel. (Note: The transcript shows a motion to go into executive session passed 4-0, and later a separate motion to approve something with one nay, likely unrelated.)
• Meeting Adjourned at 8:34 PM.