Newton County passes final FY26 budget

NEWTON COUNTY – The Newton County Board of Commissioners (BOC) passed the 2026 fiscal year (FY26) budget on Tuesday night. Four of the commissioners voted to pass the budget, while District 4 Commissioner J.C. Henderson opted to abstain from the vote.

In a final budget presentation, Finance Director Brittany White highlighted minor changes that had been made since last week’s budget meeting. 

The final budget totals $143,624,854, which is a 7.2% increase from last year’s budget. This is a decrease from the previous week’s proposed FY26 budget that sat at $145,799,561, an 8.8% increase. 

Despite vocal public dissatisfaction with last week’s proposed millage rate of 8.6 mills did not change in White’s updated presentation. This rate – if approved in a future meeting – would cause an estimated tax increase of $94 on a $300,000 house. 

Back in March, the commissioners originally passed a tentative rate of 10 mills, which the board worked to decrease to 9.3 mills and finally to 8.6 mills.

“It’s not what I wanted, I wanted it to be the same millage,” said District 5 Commissioner LeAnne Long. “But I think you’ve got to work together with your, with people. We’ve got to take care of our employees here at Newton County.” 

Following White’s budget presentation, District 1 Commissioner Stan Edwards made the motion to approve the FY26 budget as presented, and District 2 Commissioner Demond Mason seconded. 

Edwards, Long, Mason and Interim District 3 Commissioner Andre Cooper voted in favor of passing the budget. Henderson opted to abstain from the vote. 

Henderson said his reason for abstention has to do with the money budgeted for the ABM Building Solutions county-wide facility upgrades.

“The fact that we had borrowed money from the bank, I just didn’t remember that, and I would just like to refresh my memory,” Henderson said.

Henderson’s abstention sparked conversation across the board. 

Mason asked County Attorney Patrick Jaugsetter to outline the rules regarding a board member abstaining from voting on the budget.

“You abstain when there is a conflict of interest,” Jaugsetter said. “However, Georgia law does not compel someone to cast a vote. So, in this instance… what Commissioner Henderson has done is fail to cast a vote.”

Jaugstetter added that there is nothing “illegal or unlawful” about Henderson’s decision to abstain. 

The Newton County Rules for the Conduct of Business outline how commissioners may opt to abstain from a vote. Section 1-108 (a) (3) details the rules as such: 

No Commissioner who is present at any meeting of the Commission at which an official decision, ruling or other official act is to be taken or adopted may abstain from voting in regard to any decision, ruling or act except when, with respect to any such Commissioner, there is or appears to be a possible conflict of interest as described in the Newton County Ethics Ordinance. In such cases, the abstaining Commissioner shall give his/her reason for abstaining.

County minutes show that Henderson has abstained from two other votes in the last five budget cycles. During the FY22 budget approval, Henderson used an abstention, citing that the tax cuts presented were not large enough.

For the FY23 appropriations vote, Henderson abstained from the vote, citing a lack of clarity.

Despite Henderson’s previous history of abstentions, Mason questioned the use of the mechanism during Tuesday’s meeting.

Mason said he believes the board sometimes uses abstention as a “scapegoat” from fulfilling the duties of a commissioner.

“And I think we’ve got to get to a point where this board, where we stop doing that and stop using abstentions as a way to excuse ourselves from voting on very serious things that this board needs to vote on,” Mason said.

Henderson responded directly to Mason’s comments, further defending his choice not to cast a vote.

“But let me say this, if you want to change it, then the board, or go back to the charter and change it,” Henderson said. “But don’t try to scold me on the board, tell me what I should and shouldn’t do.”

Following this exchange, the board voted unanimously, with all five members participating, on a second resolution to approve adopting the appropriations of the budget.

Managing Editor Evan Newton contributed to this report.