Finance Audit and Budget Committee Meeting - April 14, 2026

The Finance Audit and Budget (FAB) Committee, chaired by Commissioner Ted Terry and joined by Commissioners Shekira Johnson, Michelle Long Spears, and Patrick (arriving later), met on April 14, 2026, to discuss capital improvement planning (CIP), water billing and customer assistance, and other fiscal matters. The meeting included updates from Budget Director Siegler and Water Director Diane McNabb, along with a presentation from the Urban League on the county's water rate assistance program.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes from the March 24, 2026, meeting (motion by Commissioner Johnson, seconded, all in favor).

Discussion Items

• Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Update: Budget Director Siegler presented the status of the five-year CIP planning process. Key points included:
  • Definition of capital projects: assets worth $25,000 or more with a useful life of five years or greater.
  • In FY26, the operating budget appropriated only $1.5 million for capital from tax funds due to delayed consideration, down from $23–24 million in recent years and $51.3 million in 2023.
  • Departments submitted 117 general fund requests totaling $141.6 million over five years; across all tax funds, 173 requests for $244.6 million.
  • A CIP committee (staff-appointed by the CEO) will rank projects using criteria: legal mandates, critical need, alignment with strategic priorities, and community impact.
  • The goal is to produce a five-year recommendation by summer 2026, with a funding recommendation for the current year before the end of April.
  • Commissioners requested that individual committee reviews (e.g., Operations for animal services) also feed into FAB, and that the administration share all board commissioner requests (e.g., Atlanta DeKalb Senior Center update) to ensure completeness.
• Water Rate Assistance Program (Urban League): Dorna Wordlaw from the Urban League reported on the program from August 2025 through February 2026:
  • Received 909 applications; only 85 (under 10%) approved due to various eligibility issues.
  • 514 applicants were ineligible: 388 had water bills already below the affordability index (4.5% of gross income), 126 had bills higher due to overconsumption (referred to conservation education and DeKalb Cares plumbing repair).
  • 172 applications were pending due to missing documentation; 83 hardship cases, 21 income-ineligible, 31 inactive accounts, 3 reapplied too early.
  • Outreach is expanding: events at senior centers, schools, recreation centers; a one-pager with QR code will be inserted in water bills; geotargeted social media ads are planned.
  • Commissioners encouraged continued marketing and asked for updated March numbers.
• Water Billing Update (Director McNabb): Presented aging accounts and collection status:
  • Active accounts total $137.5 million outstanding, with $19.5 million current and $5 million at 31–60 days. Older debts are often covered by liens on property sales.
  • Condos account for $27 million outstanding, much of it years old; commissioners noted systemic issues and called for creative solutions.
  • Inactive accounts: $29 million homeowner (leined) and $93 million tenant balances; tenants rarely pay, but records are kept for future account openings.
  • The county has 749 active liens on owner properties, 58 on condos, 47 on apartments, and 63 on commercial properties.
  • Payment plans: only 2,700 active, with many defaults because disconnections were low due to a print vendor issue (disconnection notices not being mailed). The county plans to resume disconnections soon (historically 300–400 per day) and has referred customers to Urban League for assistance.
  • A new collection agency contract is planned for inactive accounts.
  • Commissioners discussed tenant protections and the need to address leaky pipes where landlords won't repair; referral to Urban League and DeKalb Cares for plumbing repairs was noted.

Key Outcomes

• Approved March 24 meeting minutes.
• CIP team will present a funding recommendation for FY26 by end of April and a full five-year plan by summer 2026; board committees will review department-specific requests before final FAB discussion.
• Urban League will continue outreach and provide March data; commissioners will help promote the program via newsletters and events.
• Water billing will see increased disconnection notices; further discussion on condo accounts and tenant issues is scheduled for the next FAB meeting.
• Two unspecified agenda items were held in committee without action.
• Meeting adjourned.