During its meeting on Tuesday, the Morgan County Board of Commissioners approved the final FY26 general fund budget of roughly $30.77 million.
The entire budget, including capital project and special revenue funds, amounts to about $49.63 million.
While the general fund budget remains unchanged from the proposed budget, County Manager Adam Mestres said the adopted budget does include some changes in the allocation of funds.
Changes include using $720,925 from the fund balance to cover the floating statewide home exemption shortfall and reducing unallocated contingencies to $98,996, which reduces the total unallocated contingency fund to $358,177. The additional contingency was used to increase the premium for P&C Insurance to $30,030, add $9,200 for a seasonal part-time animal services worker (no benefits), and add $59,766 for a full-time custodial employee for the public buildings department (including taxes and benefits).
In other business, June 17, the BOC:
• discussed changing ordinances regarding brick mailboxes. Planning & Development Director Chuck Jarrell plans to present a draft of rewritten ordinances to the board at a later meeting.
• reappointed Heather Rhoades and Ed Pickel to the Morgan County Agriculture Advisory Board, Kassandra LaGuinn to the Morgan County DFACS Advisory Board, Sarah Burbach, Sally Buffington, and Cynthia Tingle to the Hospital Board, and Russell Carter, Cedric Huff, Chris Kennedy, Rusty Ewing, and Thomas Burden to the Morgan County Recreation Department Board.
• approved the purchase of a 2025 Ford F-150 for Chief Deputy Jason Welch using existing sheriff’s office funds. Welch is currently using a spare vehicle, and the purchase will allow a patrol vehicle to be reinstated to the fleet. The total cost is $71,498.10, including $59,190 for the vehicle purchase from Akins Ford and $12,308.10 for the purchase and installation of emergency equipment from FleetTEC.
• approved allowing the county attorney to move forward to draw up the necessary legal documents to formally deed Wellington Park to the City of Madison. The city plans to do significant renovations and updates to the park using SPLOST funds, and must own the property to use SPLOST.