Waycross City Commissioners have a near $39.6 million budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27 to consider for the next few weeks.
Waycross City Manager Ulysses “Duke” Rayford revealed the proposal in an hourlong presentation Tuesday afternoon, May 21 before the commission’s bi-monthly meeting in City Hall. He said the budget theme was “balance and sustain.”
Commissioners will hold a hearing on the budget offering at 3:30 p.m. June 2 to receive public input and discuss possible revisions. A vote on the financial sheet currently is scheduled for the commission’s bi-monthly meeting, Tuesday, June 16.
A copy of Rayford’s proposal is available to be viewed on the main page of the city’s website. Budgets are required to be filed with the Georgia Department of Revenue by June 30 for the new ledger to begin July 1.
This year’s proposal represents a decrease of about $725,000 or 1.8 percent compared to last year’s $40.3m ledger.
The major difference in last year’s total and the current proposal comes from losses in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax revenue, projections show.
The end of money from the 2018 TSPLOST represents $2.65 million and that of the Regional TSPLOST totals $300,700. Another $95k comes with the end of the 2014 SPLOST.
American Rescue Plan Act and Federal Emergency Management Association grants of $75k each in last year’s budget also are missing.
Rayford
Despite that, the proposal shows an increase in the general fund of $1.046m (5.4%) to $20.332m. The bulk of the money over last year comes from an additional $1,052,724 in the watersewer fund from the increase in rates.
There’s also about $225k in the waste management fund added as well as $93k in the storm water fund.
Nearly 80 percent of the budget, $16.234m, is fueled by city taxes and license fees. The next largest generator is the reimburseable/ intra fund at $2.6m (14.6%).
The largest expenditure at 55.2 percent is public safety with $6.4m for police and $4.8m for fire. Public works follows with 13.2 percent at $2.67m.
Rayford has offered two proposals for salary structures for commissioners to consider, one with a two percent cost of living adjustment and another with none.
In his opening, Rayford said external costs of fuel, heath care and insurance, contracted labor and materials, inflation and equipment/maintenance expenses were among the drivers of the budget.
Strategic priorities reflected in the budget include: sustaining core public safety, public works and water/sewer operations; continuing investments in technology, communications, and customer service; aligning departmental budget with measureable performance and service-delivery outcomes; and preparing for infrastructure obligations as one-time federal and state funding ends.
The video of Rayford’s presentation is available on the city’s Facebook page.
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