Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.
The Kennesaw City Council convened on Monday, September 21, 2026, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers. Mayor Derek Easterling presided. The published agenda listed different city management personnel than those who conducted the meeting; Interim City Manager Marty Hughes presented the staff reports. The meeting featured final public hearings and adoption of the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Operating Budget and Capital Improvement (SPLOST) Budget. The Council also approved the consent agenda, an alcohol license, and August crime statistics. A significant portion of the meeting was devoted to public comment, with residents criticizing the Council and Mayor over budget priorities and the delayed removal of a chain at Woodland Acres Park.
Welcome to this regularly scheduled council meeting for Monday, 21 September, 2026. Thank you very much. Um, the floor is open for public comment. This is for comment on anything that is on the agenda. And we have two public hearings, and they will both be uh they will both have their own public comment. Good evening, Mayor and Council. My name is David Blinkhorn. I live at 2641 Butler Bridge Way. I am a former city council member and longtime resident. A few weeks ago I spoke in front of you and raised a few concerns about the budget, and I didn't hear any response during that meeting, nor in last week's work session that I watched after hours because I wasn't actually here. Those concerns remain, so I'll revisit those tonight in brief. First, Kennesaw has approximately 38.2 million in unassigned fund balance, yet I find no clearly defined safeguards in the city's financial policy limiting when or how that balance can be spent. Second, parks consistently rank among the resident priorities, yet Depot Playground, Woodland Park, and pollinated gardens remain unfunded in this budget. Third, the council has the authority to amend this budget tonight and fund those projects it says it supports. Those are all from the prior sessions. In the work session, when I watched it, three things jumped out at me, and I'm gonna speak on two of them, and I'm gonna leave you in suspense on the third one. The first is do we really ask the city manager to find money for us? I'm sure the finance department found that phrasing a little suspect because finding money is not exactly an accounting term. And I don't so it's so much mind you finding the money, but tell me where you found it. Was it existing appropriations? Was it unspent funds? Was it reserves, additional revenue? And I think our financial department would call that transparency. Second, during last week's discussion, a council member said there might be alternative options to fund that portion of a project they were discussing, and suggested it may be a conversation for executive. Now, executive session was mentioned again as a possible place to discuss another way of funding it. Discussing budget options and funding options don't exactly fit those criteria. But let's get back to the important point. What is this council's priorities? Not the mayor, not the city manager, this council. I ask council to vote no on the budget as currently presented and require the changes necessary to fund the projects you said you supported. Because ultimately, a budget is just numbers. A budget is where the council's stated priorities become funded priorities. Anyone else hearing none and seeing none? Or floor for public comment is closed. Item 10A is the final public hearing for the fiscal year 27 operating budget. Ms. Gordon. Good evening, Mayor and Council. The first public hearing for our 2027 proposed operating and capital budgets was on September 8th. Today is our final public hearing and the adoption.