In a short but important meeting Wednesday afternoon, the Habersham County Commission approved a spending resolution to carry the county operations into next year. That year begins Monday, July 1.
The approved resolution continues the FY 2024 budget until such time the commission adopts the FY 2025 budget.
What the resolution does in effect is avoid a possible government shutdown. Without an official operating budget going into the next fiscal year, the government couldn’t legally operate since the funds were not officially approved, including paying employees.
Commission Chairman Ty Akins admitted that he was not a finance person but that was his belief as to what would have happened had the commission not approved the resolution on Wednesday afternoon. “I am not the expert on this but I believe that could’ve been what would have happened. If we had not passed that resolution tonight, probably everything but essential county services would have stopped,” Akins said.
He said that staff explained to him that the commission would need to pass the continuing resolution so the county could continue operating and pay employees.
Since the county is still operating under last year’s budget, Akins stated that there would be no new hires, no new equipment purchases, or purchase really anything new, just to continue to operate until the FY 2025 budget passes.
Monday meeting revisited
At the end of Monday’s commission meeting, Akins abruptly adjourned the meeting. He acknowledged that he adjourned the meeting in haste after Commissioner Jimmy Tench pointed out his error. “I was a little hasty closing out the meeting as my friend Commissioner Tench pointed out,” Akins said.
The commission opened the meeting Wednesday afternoon by first reopening the Monday meeting and officially adjourning that meeting.
After approving the continuing resolution, Akins assured the public that the commission would work out the budget. He said that they have not set a date or time yet to revisit the budget but the public would be informed in advance so they could attend the meeting.
