Clayton County Budget Hearing for FY2027 - April 28, 2026
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Clayton County Board of Commissioners Budget Hearing - April 28, 2026
The Clayton County Board of Commissioners held a budget hearing on April 28, 2026, from approximately 9:00 AM to late afternoon, with a break from around noon to 1 PM. Department heads and elected officials presented their FY2027 budget requests and priorities. No votes were taken; the hearing served as a review and discussion session. A follow-up meeting was scheduled for May 1, 2026.
Superior Court Budget Presentation
- Superior Court requested $15,200 for technology support, including a new amplifier for courtroom remote controls. The court noted 90% of its requests were recommended for funding.
- Discussion: Commissioner inquired about the new full-time state-funded superior court judge position. The judge confirmed the state covers salary, a secretary, and a law clerk; the county only needs to fund a court reporter/transcriber and minor office modifications for the judge's chamber.
State Court Budget Presentation
- State Court presented conservative numbers, noting a recommendation to set emeritus and pro tem judge fees back to $30,000 (same as last year).
- Bailiff fees: Requested to cover per diem bailiffs for long trial days (e.g., 8:30 AM to 9:30 PM). A major product liability case (Christians vs. American Honda) required extra bailiffs.
- Medical service fees ($177,000): Used for DUI Risk Reduction Court treatment program (accountability court) for repeat DUI offenders. The program is more cost-effective than jail.
- Question: Commissioner asked about medical service fees; judge explained they fund counselors at the treatment facility on Forest Parkway.
Prison, Code Enforcement, and Refuse Control Budget Presentation
- Interim Warden Amy presented three divisions: prison, code enforcement, refuse control.
- Prison: Requested $10,000 increase for boarding supplies (clothing, bedding, toiletries) due to inflation. Uniform allowance increase for similar reasons. Noted a 40% food/dietary increase based on new contract.
- Personnel parity: Correction department received only a 5% raise in 2022 when police, fire, sheriff received 10%. A 5% raise request was denied in 2023. No new personnel requested.
- Refuse control: Requested increase for janitorial supplies (paper products, cleaning materials) and uniform allowance ($5,000).
- Code enforcement: Requested increase in office supplies ($10k to $15k) and uniform allowance ($15k to $21k).
- Commissioner questioned the 40% food increase and lack of additional personnel request.
Finance Department Presentation
- CFO Terry Jackson presented a flat budget request. Priorities: protect financial health, increase transparency/accountability, improve efficiency.
- Full-time salary line increased due to funding for his position and a grant manager position carrying forward.
- Training/travel flat; encouraging virtual conferences. Contract services include Piper Sandler (financial advisor), AS400 programmer, and consultant for annual financial report (~$20k).
- Revised line for pension redistribution (four ninety-five hundred / $495,000? Noted as redistribution to pension).
Information Technology (IT) Presentation
- Interim CIO Matthew Hutcherson presented. IT supports all county departments; majority of requests are for other departments' operational needs.
- Vehicle account: Many IT vehicles are 20+ years old and redlined; rely on loaners (some also redlined). Requested no direct allocation but highlighted need for reliable transportation to move equipment (e.g., printers, networking, voting gear).
- Radio repair account ($10,000 reduction noted): Cost to replace a single radio is $7,000-$8,500. Fire requested 25 additional radios for Riverdale Fire expansion; Parks requested 15 radios for water park. Surplus radios depleted due to prior reductions.
- Computer supply account ($6,000 reduction): Even small cuts force lack of protective cases for field devices (iPads, phones), leading to $400-$600 replacement costs from a $20 case failure.
- Discussion: Commissioner noted IT already purchased ~200 laptops for police emergency vehicles and is implementing a lease program. IT is working to upgrade computers for finance, board of commissioners, HR, tax assessors, tax commissioner. Walkthrough planned for superior court copiers. State court has its own tech fund but IT assists. Part-time salary line error (discrepancy on 6 vs 3 part-time positions) has been corrected.
Chief Operating Officer (COO) / Board of Commissioners Budget
- COO D. Turk Stanford outlined 32 positions (board members, aides, COO staff).
- Promotional expense: Requested $32,000, recommended $25,000 for commissioner swag.
- Training/travel: Requested $43,610 for leadership trips (e.g., LINX), recommended $40,000. Chairman's travel at $18k, district commissioners at $15k, possibly to increase given new roles.
- Part-time salaries: Increase to support chairwoman's additional part-time staff, front desk, and summer interns for commissioners.
- Items under COO include Office of Resiliency & Sustainability, Use Services, Communications, and Clerk's office.
UGA Extension Services Presentation
- Requested a $14,000 increase for shared salaries of the County Extension Coordinator (interim director) and ANR agent to align with university expectations. This was a one-time adjustment due to a gap in salary structure after state employee raises (2020-2025). The county provides local supplement; university provides base. This adjustment is critical to recruit/retain leadership for 4-H, nutrition, agriculture programs.
Magistrate Court Budget Presentation
- Chief Judge emphasized the court is the 4th busiest magistrate court in Georgia (61,000+ cases/year), handles warrants for entire county including Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, and never closes.
- Key priorities:
- Two additional full-time judges ($169,611 each, total $339,222). Comparison: Gwinnett 30 judges, Fulton 27, Cobb 22, DeKalb 32, Clayton 9 (only 4 full-time).
- Five additional deputy court clerk positions ($280,735 total). If approved, contract services can be reduced from $351,718 to $175,000; if not, full amount needed for contractors.
- Court reporter funding: $93,600 required (state mandated to record all criminal hearings). Only $70,000 recommended; shortfall would violate law.
- New law HB 999 (awaiting governor's signature) increases magistrate court jurisdictional limit from $15,000 to $25,000 effective Jan 1, 2027, expected to spike civil cases (especially auto accident cases).
- Operational impact without funding: increased backlogs, longer wait times (currently 8-9 weeks for civil/eviction cases), inability to hold first appearance hearings daily (reduced to 4 days/week after ARPA funding exhausted), 24-hour warrant duty overload (one judge per shift handling calls from multiple police agencies).
- Eviction mediation funded by a $5 fee from each $75 eviction filing fee.
- Comment:
Meeting Transcript
You know, update us on the computers that we need. We're also 6,000 of that, I think, is for an amplifier. We are having some issues, one amplifier. Amplifier works the remote controls in the courtroom, and it's very disruptive when those go out. We do need to replace one now. And so that was additionally added to that line item. So that was a total for 15200 that was requested for those support needs, technology needs. That is for having the ability to purchase an amplifier should one goes out during the year. Um not having to wait and switch courtrooms and disrupt the administration of justice uh and trying to ask Angela and Silly to move money around so we can scrape up. So it gives us the ability just in case uh another amplifier goes out. We have the ability to replace it. And I'm sure there may be some questions, but those were the four items that I thought needed more context and justification to, like I said, 90% of what we asked for, and that you all recommended we were we will find it for Superior Court. Questions? Good morning, thank you. No problem, sir. Um full-time stock well. I know you all have the additional seats, judge. Coming. Yes, sir. Is this full-time salary inclusive of the ask or no sir? Services. Yeah. No, sir. Um, in fact, it'll be a state employee because the state will compensate the judge outside of the correct which you get, and it will also come with the state secretary and a state law clerk. Um, the only thing that's not state pay would be the court or for the judges' chambers. What about the uh system? Judicial secretary, yes, sir. That's that'll be a state paid position, yes, sir. So that would be state paying. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. That's all they would need the one. They would need one secretary. The only county paid position would be a court transcript court report and transcriber, I think, right, court reporter and transcriber. Yes, sir. Um, and the only I would add to that uh uh Commissioner Demont Davis, uh we have we built our courtrooms in 1999 to accommodate this growth, but the one chamber that will be uh that we have for this additional judge is not modified like the rest, it'll be some we'd need some some slight modifications to that room uh uh to that office space. But that I think that'll be a minor cost to the county to outlate office. Right here. Anything else? Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Okay, next we have state court. Um take a small break. Um the judge is not here yet. Okay. All right, we're gonna take a quick break. Uh we will return shortly. Good morning. How's everyone doing today? I think there were we work to craft our numbers as conservatively as possible.
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