The Putnam County Commission spent much of a lengthy Aug. 7 meeting discussing the county’s proposed budget and tax burden while also taking steps toward tighter development regulations, including a temporary moratorium on data centers, battery storage facilities and large-scale solar farms.
The proposed general fund budget totaled approximately $31 million, nearly 7% higher than last year’s $29 million. District 3 Commissioner Steve Hersey questioned the increase, noting that inflation is running at about 3% and arguing that the county has a spending problem rather than a revenue problem.
Hersey also questioned whether the county’s planned reduction in its special service district millage rate would offset newly proposed fees.
He said the combination could result in an overall increase of up to 10% in county revenue.
His fellow commissioners and county staff defended the budget, pointing to conservative spending in recent years. Finance officials said the county had reduced its anticipated draw from the fund balance and had not added new positions. Interim County Manager Byron Lombard added that department heads had been asked to accept spending limits despite requests for additional funding.
“We did not add any positions,” Lombard said, adding that he believed the proposed spending plan represented “a responsible budget.”
Commissioners noted that the county has come in under budget in each of the past four years and expressed hope that trend would continue.
The discussion also highlighted the role of the Putnam County Board of Education in property taxes. Officials noted that about 65% of a typical property tax bill goes to the school system, over which the commission has no control.
The commission also approved its second amendment to the 2026 budget, reallocating several revenue sources — including reimbursements, confiscations, asset sales, and donations — to departmental budgets. Staff said one anonymous donor recently gave approximately $47,000 to the county through multiple donations.
Development issues occupied another major portion of the meeting.
Commissioners unanimously approved a request to waive the final six months of a 12-month waiting period before a property at 820 Harmony Road can seek another rezoning. The property, part of Tempe Sharp Estates, was rezoned earlier this year for a proposed development that ultimately fell through.
Heidi King, representing the property owner, said the new plan would retain about six acres already zoned commercial, expand the commercial area to approximately eight acres and return about 26 acres to agricultural zoning. The goal would be to divide the Harmony Road frontage into several smaller parcels.
County Attorney Adam Nelson emphasized that the commission’s action did not constitute approval of a rezoning. It simply allowed the property owner to begin the application process again, he said.
The commission also accepted Sage Street, Sage Court and Sage Lane in the Meadowcrest subdivision into the county road system. Lombard said the developer had met all existing county requirements, including bonding, testing and inspections, and that both Public Works and Planning and Development had signed off on accepting the roads.
The board then authorized staff to schedule a September public hearing on proposed changes to several portions of the county code, including development regulations, roads, and public property.
The most extensive discussion centered on the potential arrival of data centers and related energy facilities in Putnam County.
Several county residents urged commissioners to impose a moratorium, citing concerns about water use, infrastructure, farmland, rural character and potential costs to taxpayers. Suggestions included stronger buffering requirements, decommissioning bonds, financial responsibility for water-system improvements and additional restrictions on where proposed facilities could be located.
District 2 Commissioner Richard Garrett suggested that any moratorium should be short and structured to produce an ordinance rather than simply delay the issue.
Nelson said there is no fixed legal limit on the length of a moratorium. However, he cautioned that its purpose should be to provide time to consider options and make regulatory changes, rather than permanently ban development.
After lengthy discussion, Hersey’s original proposal for a moratorium of up to 12 months was amended to three months. The amended motion passed, with District 1 Commissioner Tom McElhenney, Garrett and County Chairman Bill Sharp voting in favor and Hersey voting against the change.
The three-month pause is intended to give commissioners and staff time to refine regulations governing these rapidly evolving technologies and developments.
Following the vote, Nelson said the county’s resolution also needs to be updated to include definitions for each type of facility, as the current county code lacks specificity regarding data centers and battery storage systems.
The meeting also included a presentation from Cass Hatcher of River Edge Behavioral Health, which recently became Putnam County’s provider for mental health, substance abuse and intellectual and developmental disability services. Hatcher asked the county to appoint a representative to the agency’s board.
The county commission met again Aug. 18, after press time. Its next scheduled meeting is at 10 a.m. Sept. 4 at the Putnam County Administration Building, 117 Putnam Drive, Room 203, in Eatonton.