Clayton County FY 2027 Budget Public Meeting (Second Round) - April 27, 2026

This meeting, held on April 27, 2026, was the second round of public budget meetings for Fiscal Year 2027. The session was dedicated to departmental presentations; no public comments were taken, but a dedicated public hearing will be scheduled in the coming weeks.

Discussion Items

Juvenile Court

• Indigent Defense Budget: Requested an increase from $305,000 (FY 2026 amended) to $495,000 to fund three full-time parent attorneys and three full-time children attorneys, as required by OCGA §15-11-103 for dependency cases. The increase aims to pay $75,000 per attorney to secure contracts and reduce continuances that extend children's time in protective custody.
• Emeritus/Pro Temp Fees: Requested additional funding for temporary judges to handle emergency hearings (72-hour dependency and 48-hour delinquency) and fill in for conflicts or leave. Continuances due to attorney shortages affect state-mandated reporting and could jeopardize future grants.
• Family Treatment Court Contracts: Requested increased funding for juvenile treatment court (behavioral health certification achieved this year), second chance court, handgun intervention program, and girls' court. A $45,000 grant from the Council of Accountability Court Judges offset part of the behavioral health clinician cost, but grants are not guaranteed.
• Medical Services: Line item for the behavioral health clinician contract was moved from other contract services to medical services to improve commodity code accuracy.

Solicitor's Office

• Litigation Support Specialists: Requested two new positions (total $153,762) to assist in courtrooms, as an alternative to hiring higher-cost prosecutors. The office manages about 50,000 cases annually across five courtrooms (≈10,000 per judge).
• Deputy Chief Investigator: Requested one position ($119,100 total) to strengthen the investigative unit (currently five investigators plus a chief) and create succession planning.
• Investigative Assistants: Requested two positions (total $64,941) to handle evidence collection (911 calls, body cam footage) before digital evidence expires due to cloud storage limits.
• Contract Services: Funding for pretrial diversion program vendors (Operation 21 and a new vendor); the program allows dismissal of cases for low-risk offenders.
• Training and Travel: Minimal increase requested due to mandated CLE for prosecutors and POST hours for investigators.

Office of Resilience and Sustainability

• Reclassification: Requested to reclass an administrative assistant to office manager ($9,800) to handle increased responsibilities (procurement compliance, grants, time cards) for seven personnel.
• Homeland Security Officer: Requested a new position ($106,676 total) to manage the Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR) program and Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA). Without it, the county risks disqualification from future federal security and emergency preparedness grants.
• Food/Dietary Supplies: Requested $5,000 (finance recommended $2,500) for staff meals during disasters and training; proposed shifting $2,500 from an abandoned line (UASI procurement policy change).
• Building Lease: Acknowledged finance recommendation of $100,000 for the Morrow office lease, which aligns with needs.

EMS (Emergency Medical Services)

• New Positions: Requested 24 positions: six firefighter paramedic sergeants ($633,758), 12 firefighters ($1,157,330), and $50,000 in signing bonuses to staff two additional transport units (Med 12 in District 3, Med 14 in District 1). Total personnel request: $2,474,846.
• Operational Impact: Call volume grew 25% from 45,861 (2019) to 57,342 (2025). Level-zero events (no available ambulance) averaged 96 per month from December 2025 to March 2026 (Dec: 125, Jan: 107, Feb: 77, Mar: 75). As of April 27, 2026, 86 level-zero events were recorded for the month.
• Medical Supplies: Requested $800,000 (finance recommended $600,000) to support the increased call volume.
• Cardiac Monitors: Requested $340,000 (finance recommended $0) to begin replacing Life Pack 15 monitors (≈$40-45,000 each) before the sunset date, as they will become unserviceable.

Fire Department

• New Positions: Requested 22 positions: reclassify emergency communications officer to deputy chief of logistics ($17,233 cost savings), four lieutenants, six sergeants, 12 firefighters, and $5,000 signing bonuses. Total: $2,203,366.
• Apparatus Expansion: Need to add one engine and one ladder company to maintain ISO Class 1 rating (dropped to Class 2 in September 2025 due to deficiencies). The heavy rescue unit was taken out of service in December 2025 to staff the seventh aerial ladder.
• Call Volume: Increased 107.4% from 27,644 (2009) to 57,342 (2025). Since the last expansion in 2009, over 9,898 residential units were added.
• Millage Rate Increase: Requested 0.35 mills ($35 per $100,000 assessed value) to fund the expansion. Without it, loss of Class 1 rating would increase insurance premiums and harm economic development.
• Operational Impact: Three residential structure fires occurred on April 25, 2026, at Station 8 (one of the busiest). Personnel are exhausted, running up to 150 calls per 24-hour shift.

Senior Services

• Part-Time Salaries: Finance recommendation is lower than requested; all three senior centers are now 90% staffed, potentially causing end-of-year shortfalls.
• Transportation Contracts: Finance funded below request; may force reduction in ridership for medical appointments (dialysis) and center access. Grants (Older Americans Act ≈$200,000 and 5310) cover about eight months; county funding needed for the remainder.
• Food and Dietary: Reduction would increase out-of-pocket costs for seniors and limit nutritious meals.
• Facility Maintenance: Requested modest improvements (painting, grounds) at Frank Bailey and J. Charlie Griswell centers; finance recommended $0. The Board of Health cited wallpaper at Frank Bailey as a health issue seven years ago. Building maintenance director could not fund the project due to budget constraints.

Library

• Computer Equipment: No budget to replace aging computers; fund exists only for emergency replacements.
• Furniture: Many branches have dated furniture that requires annual upkeep.
• Travel and Training: Professional librarians require biannual continuing education credits to maintain state licenses. Current funding insufficient to send all staff to conferences.
• Part-Time Bookmobile Driver: Requested funding for a part-time driver (previous full-time request denied).
• Dues/Subscriptions: Pay for electronic databases, self-check machines, and RFID system maintenance.

Parks and Recreation

• Part-Time Salaries: Requested full matrix-based funding; water park (Spivey Splash) requires 80 seasonal staff and operates six days a week, driving higher costs.
• Key Accounts: Contract services (security, special events), janitorial supplies, program supplies, training, and minor repairs. Department is nationally accredited and revenue-generating (Spivey Splash avg. $2M/year, recreation centers $900K/year, pavilion rentals $70K/year). Overall budget neutral.
• Request: Full funding at requested level; reductions would impact security and programming.

Police Department

• Vehicles: Requested $2.6 million to replenish fleet; vehicles are critical for recruitment and retaining officers (vacancies down to 10). A nearby city raised starting salary to $60,000, $8,000 above Clayton County’s.
• Incentive Pay: Requested certification-based incentives (supervision, management, master's degree) to retain officers.
• Medical Supplies (Animal Control): Finance reduction based on lower spending during six-month Jonesboro facility closure; chief urged restoration to maintain operations and avoid public criticism.
• Computer Equipment: $365,000 to replace computers not updated in five years.
• Repair/Maintenance (Vehicles): Insufficient funding for out-of-shop repairs; cars out of service lead to delayed response.
• Training: Need funding for elite training (SWAT, drone, helicopter) to keep officers certified and competitive.

Transportation and Development (including Fleet, Landfill, Street Lights)

• Full-Time Salaries: 111 positions, 35-37% vacancy rate for a decade; lost four employees to other counties ($3/hour more). Request to adjust salaries to attract viable candidates.
• Contract Services: Increase for red-light camera program (new mailing costs) and staff augmentation.
• Guardrail Repairs: Requested increase to faster reimbursement for crash repairs and avoid liability.
• Fleet (24 positions, 33% vacancy): Vehicle count increased by 324 since 2021 SPLOST (44% increase). Requested $3 million for autos/trucks, plus increases for fuel (diesel and gas, impacted by price surges), tire disposal (EPA regulations), and repair parts.
• Landfill: 50.4% of tonnage is non-revenue (internal departments). Requested increased funding for new power plant maintenance ($300,000 for RM machines/equipment), and higher uniform rental due to near-full staffing.
• Street Lights: Separate fund; no rate increase in 15 years. Finance recommendation includes $1 million more than request to cover cost increases.

Central Services

• Consultant Budget: Request for detailed reporting and utilization; finance recommended less, but successful program.
• Personnel Tier: Request to create a purchasing specialist 4 position (reclassification, not new hire) to reward an existing employee meeting performance and certification goals.
• Travel/Training: Need for certified procurement staff to handle county, state (DOT), and federal funding requirements.
• Copier Overage: $200,000 requested for countywide copier overage payments (managed by Central Services).

Circuit Public Defender

• Indigent Defense Contractor: Requested $50,000 to cover half-year gap (Jan-Jun 2027) after ARPA funds expire in December 2026. Contractor handles serious Superior Court cases.
• Court Reporter Fees: Requested increase from $1,500 to $5,000 for opening/closing statements and jury selection in trials; trial weeks held weekly.
• Copier Service: Requested maintenance at current $5,484 (finance recommended $2,500) due to billing issues and higher usage.
• Evidence Expense: Requested $5,000 (finance $0) for data storage hard drives to handle digital discovery (body cam videos, etc.) for 6,000 cases per year.

Tax Commissioner's Office

• No New Personnel: Budget is 88% personnel, 12% operations ($351,000). Request to maintain current funding; cuts would increase wait times and reduce service.
• Training/Travel: Need for national-level conferences (NACFO, TC Tech, AMVA) to keep up with legislative changes (HB 581, etc.) that affect billing and operations.
• Computer Equipment: Replacement of printers (last replaced 2020) for motor vehicle and property tax offices.
• Future Needs: Potential staffing for title work team and HB 581 implementation if signed into law.

Building and Maintenance

• Building Improvements: Requested $3.7 million for new roofs, HVAC controls upgrades (IT towers, PD sector one, Annex 2 & 3, Lakesby Rec Center), replacement of rooftop units at 1117 Battle Creek, stainless steel trough sinks at CCCI jail, alarm system upgrades, and other deferred maintenance.
• Reorganization: Remove one unfilled service manager position and reallocate funds to upgrade administrative secretary, service manager, and assistant director grades, saving $32,000.
• Workload: 3.5 million sq ft managed by 26 service techs (≈134,000 sq ft per tech vs. national standard of 47,000). Chief emphasized need for a long-term capital plan.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken; all presentations were informational for the budget committee.
• The budget committee noted all requests and will consider them before finalizing the FY 2027 budget.
• A dedicated public hearing for resident comments will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
• Several departments stressed that unfunded requests would lead to service reductions, loss of certifications, or increased costs to residents (e.g., fire millage increase, insurance premiums, delayed response times).