Erin Hill
Gadsden County News Service
Gadsden County commissioners adopted a $71.1 million budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year following a lengthy discussion over spending reductions and the termination of 13 full-time and four part-time employees.
The Board of County Commissioners approved the $71,139,378 budget Sept. 22 on a 3-2 vote, with Commissioners Rontorious Green and Brenda Holt opposed.
Commissioners also unanimously approved a final property tax rate of 8.8 mills. The rate is 2.89% above the rolled-back rate of 8.553 mills.
The final budget is about $1.05 million, or 1.49%, higher than the previous year’s $70.09 million budget.
The personnel reductions came as the county worked to make approximately $1.6 million in cuts. Commissioners had directed the administration to make budget cuts, but, according to Holt, the board did not direct the administrator to terminate employees.
During the budget discussion, Raynak said the positions recommended for elimination were selected to have the least impact on the county’s ability to provide services.
Raynak said salary adjustments resulting from a study conducted by the county’s Human Resources department had driven salary expenses from just under $10 million to about $12 million in the 2025-26 fiscal year. With the reductions, Raynak said salary expenses would fall to just under $11 million.
“We’re trying to contain the rapid escalation of the expenses versus the revenue not keeping up with it,” Raynak said.
Interim County Administrator Reginald James said personnel accounts for approximately 65% of county expenses. He said 13 full-time and four part-time employees were terminated.
Holt argued that commissioners should have looked further at discretionary spending before employees lost their jobs.
“I’m looking at why do we even have summer youth when we have people that got laid off that have bills and responsibilities and the children are only going to get $700 or $800 during the summer, and these people lost their jobs,” Holt said.
The Summer Youth Program was among the areas discussed for reductions. Holt also said the county could hold off on Parks and Recreation spending for a year and recommended cutting back on commissioner expenses.
“It just doesn’t make any sense to me,” Holt said.
Holt also raised concerns about cuts to the Apalachee Regional Planning Council. She said the council had done much of the groundwork involving Gretna and development in the county and provides planning and research assistance in an area stretching from Apalachicola to Gretna.
“What we need to do is back up from the recreational part because people are upset about their taxes but we’re not showing any real cuts on the intangible things,” Holt said. “If we were going to cut anything anywhere it should be in the job market so we can encourage businesses to come in.”
Holt reiterated that commissioners had instructed the administrator to make cuts but had not instructed him to terminate employees.
James said the 13 full-time terminations were legally carried out.
Commissioners initially considered a motion on the budget that failed on a 2-3 vote.
Commissioner Shawn Wood later made a motion to adopt the 2026-27 budget. That motion passed 3-2, with Green and Holt opposed.
Wood then made a motion for commissioners to review the budget line by line within 30 days and make amendments. That motion passed unanimously.
The county’s 2026-27 fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
