Finance, Audit and Budget Committee Special Call Meeting - July 6, 2026
Finance, Audit and Budget Committee Special Call Meeting - July 6, 2026
The Finance, Audit and Budget (FAB) Committee held a special call meeting on July 6, 2026, chaired by Commissioner Ted Terry, with Commissioners Shakira Johnson (in person) and Michelle Long Spears (via Zoom). The agenda included a youth commission presentation on a mobile shower program, a water debt forgiveness plan, and the 2026 ad valorem tax millage rates and budget revisions.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the meeting minutes from May 26, 2026, by voice vote with a motion and second.
Discussion Items
- Youth Commission Mobile Shower Expansion Initiative: The Super District Six Summer Interns (Jabari Olashao, Charlotte Dennis) presented a proposal to expand mobile hygiene services for unhoused residents. Key statistics: 56% of unhoused individuals lack shower access; 27% cite lack of transport; 85% of survey respondents said losing hygiene access would affect them greatly; 40% of Frontline Day Center clients have jobs. The cost estimates for a six-month pilot four days a week were: $96,000 for showers only, $144,000 for showers and laundry, $168,000 for showers, laundry, and barber services. The team recommended sites in North DeKalb, Panola Park, and Stone Mountain. Commissioners expressed support and discussed sustainability, with Dr. Ferguson confirming it fits into the existing housing strategy. A motion to endorse the concept and incorporate it into the housing strategy passed unanimously.
- Water Debt Forgiveness Plan: CFO Diane McNabb presented a program starting August 1, 2026, for customers with household income below 60% of Area Median Income (AMI). Participants must sign an Installment Payment Agreement (IPA). After one year of payments, they receive a forgiveness credit equal to all payments made (buy-one-get-one model). 831 current RAP applicants would qualify. The program aims to reduce debt and encourage payments. No board action was required; a three-month update was requested for November 2026. Discussion included disconnection policies, reconnection fees, and potential future expansion to 80% AMI.
- 2026 Ad Valorem Tax Millage Rates and Budget Revisions: Director TJ Siegler presented the proposed millage rates, totaling 21.31 mills in unincorporated areas (a half-mill increase from 2025). Key increases: police basic services (+0.576 mills), fire compensation ($3.2 million), and housing investments ($12 million for bonds and unhoused assistance). The budget also includes $3 million for MedCura and Mosaic health services, $1 million for arts council, and $500,000 for food security. The proposed budget uses $10.8 million in remaining EHOST reserves to provide tax relief. Fund balance adjustments and salary savings were discussed. A motion to approve the substitute resolution (including school board millage and a typo fix) passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- The committee voted to endorse the mobile shower program concept and direct staff to explore vendor options and incorporate it into the housing strategy.
- The water debt forgiveness plan will launch August 1, 2026, with a progress update at the November FAB meeting.
- The committee approved the 2026 ad valorum tax millage rates and budget revisions (item 1045), including a substitute resolution. The full board will consider it at the July 7, 2026 meeting.
- Future agenda items: Q2 financials at the next FAB meeting, mid-year budget review in September, and early start to the 2027 budget process with constitutional officer presentations in October.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good afternoon. Welcome back. This is our finance audit and budget committee special call meeting Monday, July 6th. Uh chaired by myself, Commissioner Ted Terry, joined here in person by committee member Commissioner Shakira Johnson and on the Zoom, Commissioner Michelle Long Spears. And if anyone else joins, we'll welcome them as they come. So uh commissioners, we have a a light agenda in terms of agenda items, but probably we'll um uh talk in length about on some of these issues a little bit longer than we maybe would like, but um I think it'll be a good opportunity for us to dive into some of these issues today. Um so we do have a presentation from our youth commissioners. Uh thank you so much for being here, guys. Um so we'll recognize you here in just a minute. And then we have the um Zach, you're gonna present on the water debt plan from the CEO's office, Diane's here, okay. And then we will um then we'll tackle the uh ad velor on tax rates and budget revisions agenda item. So with that, let's do our meeting minutes from May 26. Uh there's no edits or changes. I'll open the floor for a motion. Move to approve item one zero two one. Second. All right, motion and second. Seeing this further discussion, all in favor is your hand say aye. Aye. Aye. Chair votes aye. Motion cares. All right. Um, so let's invite up our dignity on wheels team, uh, Jabare Olashao and Charley. Y'all feel free just to come up to the um the little committee table mics over here. And so we want to and actually, do you want to give a little primer on the what the youth commissioners have been working on with central staff? Absolutely. And you can just join us right there, Marcus, if you want. All right, so I'm gonna introduce um Marcus Allen with Central Staff to talk about the youth commissioners, what they've been doing this summer, and that'll set the stage for this particular presentation. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, commissioners and uh all our esteemed uh colleagues, guests, and youth commissioners in the room today. So uh our DeCab County Youth Commission has worked diligently over the last several months to develop a series of uh policy uh recommendations as well as projects that highlight key uh you know key um you know aspects that the county can consider when it comes to several different uh iterations of um just how we provide services in the county. What you have in front of you is a great presentation from Charlotte Dennis as well as Jabari Burgess. Uh Allah Shio is not here today, she's out of town, but she's a forthcoming um freshman at Northwestern University, and they're going to be presenting on the potential uh mobile showers program uh that could be offered with the CAB County. Um they've had several conversations with uh relevant uh departments such as community development as well as uh members of our administration, and they've worked with central staff over the last several months to develop uh these recommendations, but more importantly, with your office in the summer. Um, you know, your office and your your staff have been tremendous in this in this uh effort. And in today's FAB committee, they're just presenting uh the potential uh program expansion that could be considered from you all. There will also be another presentation at PWI tomorrow for a for a different uh sidewalks infrastructure plan. But today, the potential mobile shower expansion. Want to get your thoughts, your recommendations, your feedback, and go from there. So I introduce um Charlet to introduce uh the team here. Um I do want to uh appreciate that the uh the CEO's budget this year expanded the workforce development program for the youth, right Zach for the summer program. So appreciate y'all being part of that program. Um this is a paid internship. Um we're not trying to get free work out of y'all. Um so um the county's getting our money's worth, I think, um, and also hopefully an opportunity for y'all to get some great experience. So with that, I'll introduce Charlay. And if you want to eat introduce the rest of the team. Okay.
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