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Record of Proceedings

Clayton County Board of Commissioners Special Called Meeting - September 24, 2026

Board of Commissioners — Thursday, September 24, 2026
BodyClayton County, Georgia
SessionBoard of Commissioners
DateThursday, September 24, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 33:07

Original source
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0:01

Thank you.

0:03

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

0:10

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:20

At this time, we will move to item four, which is the adoption of the agenda.

0:25

At this time, board members, I need a motion to adopt the agenda.

0:28

Motion to adopt the agenda.

0:30

Can I get a second?

0:31

All right.

0:32

In the discussion at this time, are you ready for the vote?

0:35

All in favor say aye.

0:37

All opposed.

0:38

Any abstentions, the ayes have it, and the motion passes.

0:42

Next will be item four, the consent agenda.

0:44

At this time, I need a motion to approve the consent agenda.

0:49

Motion to approve.

0:51

Item five.

0:52

I'm sorry, item five.

0:54

Motion to approve.

0:55

So all right.

0:57

Second.

0:58

I know.

0:59

All right.

0:59

In the discussion at this time.

1:01

Are you ready for the vote?

1:02

All in favor say aye.

1:04

All opposed.

1:05

Any abstentions?

1:06

The ayes have it, and the motion carries.

1:08

All right.

1:09

Next is uh, and we're good.

1:12

Do we need to vote on the resolution?

1:14

Um Chuck Attorney Rito, do we need to just move on since we did consent um good evening?

1:22

Good evening.

1:23

Uh 212.

1:24

Yeah, well, the resolution 2026, 212.

1:26

Oh no, you already did it.

1:27

We did we're good.

1:28

Okay.

1:28

That's okay.

1:29

All right.

1:29

You know me and you had a we were talking about the agenda earlier.

1:34

All right.

1:34

Next is item six agenda item.

1:36

Um next will be the millage rate presentation, and that will come from our CFO, Terry Jackson.

1:47

Good evening, Board of Commissioners.

1:49

Uh this is our third and final 2026 Millage Rate hearing.

1:55

Uh the first hearing was held on uh September 15th.

1:59

Uh one was at 10 a.m.

2:02

And the second was at uh 530 p.m.

2:06

And so today we have the the presentation before you.

2:10

Uh we do have some presentation materials available.

2:14

We're making additional copies of the actual PowerPoint presentation for the audience members here.

2:20

And so those will be placed in the back shortly.

2:23

However, we do have copies of the 2027 adopted budget amendment number two, as well as the 2025 property tax digest and five-year history of levy.

2:36

Those forms are available in the back.

2:39

Uh and the same forms are actually available online at www.claytoncounty GA.gov.

2:52

And so uh the notice of property tax increase for MO, uh, which stands for maintenance and operations, uh, and that simply means funds uh which uh fund the daily operations of the county.

3:08

This notification was first uh placed in the Clayton County newspaper on September 2nd, 2026.

3:16

And so what it calls for is a notice of property tax increase for the MO.

3:22

Uh the final M and O rollback rate is 14.141.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Property Tax█████████████████████████████████████████████61%
Public Comment██████████████████24%
Procedural███████10%
Fiscal Sustainability████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Clayton County Board of Commissioners Special Called Meeting - September 24, 2026

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners held a special called meeting on September 24, 2026, at 6:00 PM to hold the third and final public hearing on the proposed millage rate increase for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 and to vote on Resolution 2026-213 establishing the net mill rates. The meeting began with adoption of the agenda and approval of a consent agenda item (Resolution 2026-212) regarding advance voting locations for upcoming elections. CFO Terry Jackson presented the millage rate proposal, followed by public testimony from seven residents. After the public hearing, the board passed Resolution 2026-213, though one commissioner expressed dissent.

Consent Calendar

  • Resolution 2026-212: Authorized use of various facilities for advance voting for the General Election, runoffs, emergency polling locations, and post-election risk-limiting audit. Adopted unanimously by consent.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Dr. Henry Anderson (District 3): Expressed strong support for the millage rate increase, arguing that the increase for a $250,000 home ($76.86/year, $6.41/month) is nominal and can be covered by discretionary spending. He praised county services and noted the funds would support salary increases for public safety and county operations.
  • Kate Parker (Forest Park): Opposed any millage increase, stating that her additional $10/month is equivalent to the cost of her albuterol inhaler. She urged the board to cut their own expenses (e.g., Christmas parties, catered Thanksgiving) instead of raising taxes.
  • Mickey Garbert (District 1, unincorporated Rex): Supported the millage increase as necessary to retain county employees and improve services, but requested a tax break for legacy citizens and seniors on fixed incomes. He noted that higher pay could reduce attrition and training costs.
  • Shirley Carter: Did not directly address the millage rate; instead asked about the property tax appeal process and was referred to the Tax Commissioner.
  • Francisco Martinez (District 4): Opposed the increase, stating his property taxes had risen from $2,000 to $8,000 over 20 years. He demanded improved services (clean pools, toilet paper, customer service rating system) and argued that tax increases are unsustainable. He criticized the appeals process as unresponsive.
  • Orlando Gooden (District 3): Supported the millage increase for public safety but called the budget process a "scam," citing frequent budget amendments after adoption. He urged the board to prioritize the public defender's office and solicitor general and to present accurate budgets upfront.

Discussion Items

  • Millage Rate Presentation (CFO Terry Jackson): Jackson presented the final public hearing for the 2026 millage rates. Key figures:
    • Maintenance & Operations (M&O) rollback rate: 14.141 mills; proposed rate: 15.052 mills (6.44% increase).
    • Fire Services rollback rate: 4.068 mills; proposed rate: 4.50 mills (10.62% increase).
    • Example for a homestead property valued at $250,000: M&O taxes increase from $1,682.82 to $1,759.68 (difference $76.86/year, $6.41/month).
    • Example for a non-homestead property valued at $425,000: increase from $3,178.66 to $3,323.84 ($145.18/year, $12.10/month).
    • Jackson explained that the FY2027 adopted budget amendment (approved June 17, 2026) required $7.8 million additional funding for salaries (10% COLA for sworn personnel, 2% COLA for all employees, six paramedic sergeants, six firefighter EMTs), election costs, and court costs. He stated the millage increase was necessary to balance the adopted budget.
  • Adoption of Agenda and Consent Agenda: Routine procedural items approved unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-213: The resolution to establish the mill rates after rollback for FY2026-2027, levy property taxes, provide for the mill rate credit from Local Option Sales Tax, and authorize the chairwoman to execute certifications.

Key Outcomes

  • Resolution 2026-213 was approved by a majority vote (voice vote; ayes carried). After the vote, one commissioner (presumed chairwoman) stated for the record: "I do not agree with this tax increase... Things are too high. People are for our seniors... this is an abomination to the people of Clayton County, and we should not be having a tax increase." This indicates dissent despite the approval.
  • No executive session was needed. The meeting adjourned after the vote.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. At this time, we will move to item four, which is the adoption of the agenda. At this time, board members, I need a motion to adopt the agenda. Motion to adopt the agenda. Can I get a second? All right. In the discussion at this time, are you ready for the vote? All in favor say aye. All opposed. Any abstentions, the ayes have it, and the motion passes. Next will be item four, the consent agenda. At this time, I need a motion to approve the consent agenda. Motion to approve. Item five. I'm sorry, item five. Motion to approve. So all right. Second. I know. All right. In the discussion at this time. Are you ready for the vote? All in favor say aye. All opposed. Any abstentions? The ayes have it, and the motion carries. All right. Next is uh, and we're good. Do we need to vote on the resolution? Um Chuck Attorney Rito, do we need to just move on since we did consent um good evening? Good evening. Uh 212. Yeah, well, the resolution 2026, 212. Oh no, you already did it. We did we're good. Okay. That's okay. All right. You know me and you had a we were talking about the agenda earlier. All right. Next is item six agenda item. Um next will be the millage rate presentation, and that will come from our CFO, Terry Jackson. Good evening, Board of Commissioners. Uh this is our third and final 2026 Millage Rate hearing. Uh the first hearing was held on uh September 15th. Uh one was at 10 a.m. And the second was at uh 530 p.m. And so today we have the the presentation before you.

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