Rockdale County Budget Hearing 08/05/2026

The Rockdale County Budget Hearing held on August 5, 2026, included detailed discussions on budget requests and staffing needs for various county departments, with a significant focus on the fire department and the coroner's office. The fire department presented a proposal for 18 new positions—six lieutenants, six sergeants, and six firefighters—to staff new quick response vehicles, with an estimated budget impact of $1,368,000. They also discussed capital improvement needs, including apparatus replacement and a new dive boat, as well as ongoing maintenance costs. The department is seeking grant funding through the SAFER program to offset some personnel costs. The coroner's office requested a part-time chief deputy position with a salary of $24,000 and noted a need for a generator costing approximately $50,000 to $60,000 due to recent power outages. The elections office proposed adding an elections administrative coordinator position with a salary of $37,525,000 to manage increased administrative duties related to new voting systems and ongoing voter education. Budget adjustments were also discussed related to election cycles, with savings anticipated in 2027 due to it being an off-election year. No capital improvement requests were made by the elections office. The meeting also included a brief overview of the storm water management department's functions and community engagement efforts, though no specific procurement or budget requests were detailed for that department during this session.