Administrative Committee Meeting - Monday, November 9, 2026

Effingham County’s Administrative Committee met November 9, 2026. The committee reviewed the jail roof replacement, whose low bid had previously been approved; work was underway, and a payment of approximately $228,565 was discussed for approval, subject to completion, with a motion to forward the matter to the full board. The committee also approved forwarding an ordinance and resolution establishing a solar and wind application administrator and a $1,000 flat fee per application, to be paid by applicants. The FY2027 liability coverage renewal was reported as a 4.65% overall increase; a motion to forward the renewal proposal to the full board carried. The FY2027 budget and FY2026 levy were reviewed, including a $3,000 allocation for building and grounds maintenance and a proposed $1,500 annual contribution toward maintaining the Santa house, both described as included in the budget. The committee also moved a revised employee longevity bonus structure to the full board.

Other discussion included opioid settlement funding: five payments totaling a reported approximately $32,530 were received in the third quarter, with roughly $129,973 remaining; gas cards may be provided for transportation to treatment and recovery services. The committee discussed a state funding shortfall affecting public defender salary reimbursement, with current plans to use public defender fund balances rather than seek additional county funds for the first half of the year. Members also discussed the proposed revolving loan program and the need to confirm reserve-accounting requirements and carefully vet applicants; no loan approval was recorded.