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Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners Annual 3 Day Budget Retreat Day 1 - January 7, 2025 (begin at 9am, lunch break at noon) Day 2 - January 8, 2025 (begin at 9am, lunch break at noon) Day 3 - January 9, 2025 (begin at 9am, lunch break at noon)

Chatham County · Board of Commissioners
Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 9:00 am · Chatham County Agriculture and Convention Center

Retreat or planning session Budget and appropriationsSchools and educationTax rate and revaluationBonds and debtHealth and human servicesArts and public artComprehensive planEnvironment and sustainabilityFarmland and open spacePublic facilities

Agenda document Minutes Meeting page Watch Meeting recap

What was decided

  1. Received 25-0001Review Ground Rules received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  2. Received 25-0002Review Roles and Expectations received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  3. Approved 25-0003Discussion of the Board of Commissioners Goals and Priorities for FY2026 approved · Pass · A motion was made by Commissioner David Delaney, seconded by Commissioner Amanda Robertson, to add to the Board of Commissioners' Areas of Focus for 2025, an ite…
  4. Received 25-0004Receive an Overview of Budget and Financial Policies received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  5. Received 25-0005Receive a presentation on the History of the Boards and Committee Board Liaison Roles and Appointments received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  6. Received 25-0006Receive a Sustainability Update received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  7. Received 25-0007Receive a Revaluation Update received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  8. Received 25-0008Receive a presentation on Public Arts Comprehensive Strategy received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  9. Received 25-0009Receive a presentation from Chatham County Schools received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  10. Received 25-0010Receive a presentation from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  11. Received 25-0020Discuss Early Childhood Education received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  12. Received 25-0011Discussion of Non-Profit Funding for FY 2026 and Beyond received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  13. Received 25-0012Receive a presentation on the Annual Pay and Benefits Update and the Two-Thirds Pay Study Update received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  14. Received 25-0013Receive a presentation from DEC Associates on the Debt Model and Financial Planning received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  15. Received 25-0014Discuss Article 46 Sales Tax received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  16. Received 25-0015Receive a presentation on Heads Up Items and a Collaboration Impact Team Update received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  17. Received 25-0016Receive a presentation on the Current Year Accomplishments received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  18. Received 25-0017Receive a presentation on Trends Affecting Next Year’s Budget received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  19. Received 25-0018Receive a presentation on the Expected Conditions Affecting Next Year’s Budget received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  20. Received 25-0019Discuss the FY2026 Budget and give Guidance to Staff received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  21. Approved Discussion of the Board of Commissioners Goals and Priorities for FY 2026 approved · Pass · A motion was made by Commissioner Franklin Gomez Flores, seconded by Vice Chair Katie Kenlan, to instruct Staff to create or to begin the process of creating a v…

Read from the agenda's recorded outcomes. Where the board published minutes, those are the record — this is a pointer to them.

What's on this agenda

Chatham County's commissioners held their annual budget retreat over three days from 7 January 2025, and the revaluation was the number everything else turned on: values were expected to rise 40 to 60 percent on average, with the notices about to go out.

They also worked through the capital debt model, the Article 46 sales tax, a draft public art plan, early childhood education, pay and benefits, and non-profit funding, and gave staff guidance for the 2026 budget.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Meeting recap

What happened, drawn from the records published after the meeting. Minutes

The county's goals are the ten from Plan Chatham plus three the board added in 2017: preserving rural character and agriculture, compact growth near existing towns and in walkable mixed-use centers, and diversifying the tax base to lean less on residential property tax.

The tax administrator and the county's consultant said the mass appraisal conversion and the schedule of values were done, with value notices and then appeals to follow. Increases would average 40 to 60 percent but vary by neighborhood and by property, with vacant land on a different scale. That revaluation produced the 2026 budget's 60 cent rate against a revenue neutral 52.96 cents, and it brought farmers to the May hearing to say their present use value assessments had risen too.

On Article 46, the local option sales tax, staff reminded the board that the 2019 resolution of intended uses is not legally binding, though the board has kept to it.

On non-profits, the board looked at running its process alongside or in place of the United Way's Bold Goal work, with the United Way putting $100,000 into a pilot. That conversation was still open in May, when it went on hold over United Way staff changes.

The pay and benefits update reported what employees asked for: longevity pay first, merit increases second, then overtime rather than comp time, higher on-call pay, bilingual incentive pay and holiday bonuses.

The board closed by discussing the revaluation and the rate, the schools' request, the bond rating and borrowing for capital projects, and the fund balance reserve, and said it had confidence in the budget team.

Speaking at this meeting

Chatham County's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Jump to an item (26 on this agenda)
  1. CALL TO ORDER
  2. BOARD PRIORITIES
  3. 25-0001Review Ground Rules
  4. 25-0002Review Roles and Expectations
  5. 25-0003Discussion of the Board of Commissioners Goals and Priorities for FY2…
  6. 25-0004Receive an Overview of Budget and Financial Policies
  7. 25-0005Receive a presentation on the History of the Boards and Committee Boa…
  8. 25-0006Receive a Sustainability Update
  9. 25-0007Receive a Revaluation Update
  10. 25-0008Receive a presentation on Public Arts Comprehensive Strategy
  11. 25-0009Receive a presentation from Chatham County Schools
  12. 25-0010Receive a presentation from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office
  13. 25-0020Discuss Early Childhood Education
  14. 25-0011Discussion of Non-Profit Funding for FY 2026 and Beyond
  15. 25-0012Receive a presentation on the Annual Pay and Benefits Update and the…
  16. 25-0013Receive a presentation from DEC Associates on the Debt Model and Fina…
  17. 25-0014Discuss Article 46 Sales Tax
  18. 25-0015Receive a presentation on Heads Up Items and a Collaboration Impact T…
  19. 25-0016Receive a presentation on the Current Year Accomplishments
  20. 25-0017Receive a presentation on Trends Affecting Next Year’s Budget
  21. 25-0018Receive a presentation on the Expected Conditions Affecting Next Year…
  22. 25-0019Discuss the FY2026 Budget and give Guidance to Staff
  23. ADJOURNMENT
  24. Discussion of the Board of Commissioners Goals and Priorities for FY…
  25. Review Roles and Expectations Continued
  26. Discussion of the Board of Commissioners Goals and Priorities for FY…

Agenda items (26)

Other · 9Presentation · 9Discussion item · 4Procedural · 3Appointment · 1
  1. CALL TO ORDER
    Procedural
  2. BOARD PRIORITIES
    Procedural
  3. 25-0001 Review Ground Rules
    Other
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  4. 25-0002 Review Roles and Expectations
    Other
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  5. 25-0003 Discussion of the Board of Commissioners Goals and Priorities for FY2026
    Discussion item Budget and appropriationsComprehensive planFarmland and open space
    The ten Plan Chatham goals plus the three the board added in 2017: preserving rural character and agriculture, compact growth in and near existing towns and walkable mixed-use centers, and diversifying the tax base away from residential property tax.
    approved · Pass · A motion was made by Commissioner David Delaney, seconded by Commissioner Amanda Robertson, to add to the Board of Commissioners' Areas of Focus for 2025, an item listed as climate change and staff would bring more robust language that is a bit more explicit about the definition of climate change back. The motion carried by the following vote:
  6. 25-0004 Receive an Overview of Budget and Financial Policies
    Other Budget and appropriations
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  7. 25-0005 Receive a presentation on the History of the Boards and Committee Board Liaison Roles and Appointments
    Appointment
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  8. 25-0006 Receive a Sustainability Update
    Other Environment and sustainability
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  9. 25-0007 Receive a Revaluation Update
    Other Budget and appropriationsTax rate and revaluation
    The 2025 revaluation. The mass appraisal conversion and schedule of values are complete, with value notices and appeals to follow. Increases are expected to average 40 to 60 percent, varying by neighborhood and property, with vacant land on a different scale.
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  10. 25-0008 Receive a presentation on Public Arts Comprehensive Strategy
    Presentation Arts and public artPublic facilities
    A draft public art plan covering programming, rotating installations, a percentage of capital improvement spending for art, and permanent installations.
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  11. 25-0009 Receive a presentation from Chatham County Schools
    Presentation Schools and education
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  12. 25-0010 Receive a presentation from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office
    Presentation
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  13. 25-0020 Discuss Early Childhood Education
    Other Health and human servicesSchools and education
    The Early Childhood Action Plan, led by the Chatham County Partnership for Children and funded partly with American Rescue Plan money, with a needs assessment, community conversations and a fiscal analysis behind it.
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  14. 25-0011 Discussion of Non-Profit Funding for FY 2026 and Beyond
    Discussion item Budget and appropriationsHealth and human services
    Non-profit funding for 2026 and beyond, including whether the county's process should run alongside or give way to the United Way's Bold Goal work, with $100,000 committed to a pilot.
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  15. 25-0012 Receive a presentation on the Annual Pay and Benefits Update and the Two-Thirds Pay Study Update
    Presentation Budget and appropriations
    The annual pay and benefits update and the two-thirds pay study. Employees asked first for longevity pay, then merit increases, overtime rather than comp time, higher on-call pay, bilingual incentive pay and holiday bonuses.
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  16. 25-0013 Receive a presentation from DEC Associates on the Debt Model and Financial Planning
    Presentation Bonds and debtBudget and appropriations
    The county's debt model and financial planning, presented by its financial advisers.
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  17. 25-0014 Discuss Article 46 Sales Tax
    Other Budget and appropriationsTax rate and revaluation
    The Article 46 local option sales tax. The 2019 resolution of intended uses is not legally binding, though the board has kept all funding to those uses.
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  18. 25-0015 Receive a presentation on Heads Up Items and a Collaboration Impact Team Update
    Presentation
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  19. 25-0016 Receive a presentation on the Current Year Accomplishments
    Presentation
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  20. 25-0017 Receive a presentation on Trends Affecting Next Year’s Budget
    Presentation Budget and appropriations
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  21. 25-0018 Receive a presentation on the Expected Conditions Affecting Next Year’s Budget
    Presentation Budget and appropriations
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  22. 25-0019 Discuss the FY2026 Budget and give Guidance to Staff
    Other Bonds and debtBudget and appropriationsSchools and educationTax rate and revaluation
    Guidance to staff for the 2026 budget: the revaluation and the tax rate including revenue neutral, the schools' request, the bond rating and borrowing for capital projects, the fund balance reserve percentage, and the budget process.
    received and filed · This Agenda Item was received and filed.
  23. ADJOURNMENT
    Procedural
    adjourned · Pass · A motion was made by Vice Chair Katie Kenlan, seconded by Commissioner Franklin Gomez Flores, that the meeting be adjourned at 2:07pm. The motion carried by the following vote:
  24. Discussion of the Board of Commissioners Goals and Priorities for FY 2026
    Discussion item
    approved · Pass · A motion was made by Commissioner Franklin Gomez Flores, seconded by Vice Chair Katie Kenlan, to instruct Staff to create or to begin the process of creating a visual representation that tracks the County's progress of goals. The motion carried by the following vote:
  25. Review Roles and Expectations Continued
    Other
  26. Discussion of the Board of Commissioners Goals and Priorities for FY 2026 Continued
    Discussion item

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