By RICK NOLTE Staff Writer
The Waycross City Commission was right on schedule this year with approval of its Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget.
The four commissioners voted 3-1 Tuesday evening in City Hall to accept the $40,167,722 ledger during their bi-monthly meeting. Commissioners Shawn Roberts, Sheinita Bennett and Alvin Nelson voted for the budget with Katrena Felder casting the “no” vote.
Felder, who represents District 3, said her vote against the budget resulted from concerns of clarity on some items presented in the budget. She spoke on her decision during the “Last Call” portion of the meeting in which commissioners may address the meeting on any topic.
“There are things in this budget not presented clearly,” Felder said. “And also that leaves a lot of questions to be asked regarding salaries for our staff along with travel and training concerning District 3 that is not accurately reflected in the budget FY 25-26.”
The approval came well before the July 1 deadline to have the budget filed with the Georgia Department of Revenue to start the next fiscal year. The city didn’t approve the FY24-25 budget until October 15, 2024. The budget represents a decrease of about $2.51 million from the $42.668 million FY 24-25 ledger.
Much of the difference in the two rests in smaller amounts of special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) revenue as well as American Rescue Plan Act funds for this offering.
The budget shows $1.5 million less in TSPLOST 18 money, $910,000 less in SPLOST 14 funds and $1.825 million less in ARPA dollars.
The proposed budget’s general fund, however, is $1.24 million higher than last year ($19.286 to $18.048).
Most of that comes from $60 ok in the watersewer fund. That anticipated revenue comes from a rate hike the commission approved last month that begins October 1.
Other budget increases were in the waste management fund ($48k, 1.8 percent), hotel-motel taxes ($44k, 7.4 percent), city auditorium proceeds ($38k, 76.6 percent), and SPLOST 23 $50k, 1.2 percent).
