Proposed Cobb FY 2026 budget of $1.325B avoids shortfall

After projecting a $7 million budget deficit in March, Cobb finance officials presented a nearly-balanced fiscal year 2026 budget proposal Tuesday that holds the line on property tax rates and includes modest raises for county employees.

During a work session, Cobb Chief Financial Officer Bill Volckmann told the Cobb Board of Commissioners that the proposed spending package still needs a $1 million reduction to break even.

During an update in March, he outlined a variety of possible cuts to the $7 million figure, including a contingency fund of $1 million for commissioners to spend at their discretion on various projects in the county and their respective districts.

On Tuesday, he said that a projected increase in Cobb tax digest growth and lagging growth in employee health dare costs have closed most of that gap (here’s the updated breakdown provided on the county website).

The budget, which will have hearings and adoption in July, holds the general fund property rate at 8.46 mills and the fire fund rate, which is at 2.99 mills.

The general fund millage rate has been the same since 2018, but many homeowners have seen their tax bills skyrocket due to rising assessments in recent years. Some citizens have asked that the millage rate be “rolled back” to hold the line at spending.

But commissioners have (along mostly partisan lines) ignored those pleas, citing staff openings and the need to boost employee recruitment and retention, especially in public safety agencies.

The general fund would generate $645 million in revenues, up from the present fiscal year 2025 total of $624 million. Fire fund projected revenues would be $161 million, up by $8 million.

Cobb tax digest growth is projected to be a little more than two percent in 2025, compared to higher increases in recent years.

Only four new positions would be created in county government, two lieutenant positions in the fire department, and two stormwater project management inspector positions in the water department, with the funding coming outside of the general fund.

In March, Volckmann told commissioners that county department heads had proposed nearly 300 new positions, with 113 from the Cobb Sheriff’s Office and more than 70 in the Cobb Police Department, in new spending requests totalling nearly $93 million.

Under the proposed budget, county employees would receive two-percent pay raises, and could get merit raises up to three percent. Public safety employees also would get the two-percent raises and step-and-grade raises for those who are eligible.

Volckmann said that while Cobb has filled 106 vacancies in public safety departments during the current fiscal year, several departments still have dozens of openings.

Police, fire and the Cobb Water Department all have more than 70 openings each, he said.

The budget proposal also would reduce the amount of water department revenues from five percent to four percent.

The Cobb government fiscal year 2026 starts on Oct. 1 and concludes on Sept. 30, 2026.

The graphics below were presented at the work session Tuesday; click the middle button to view the slideshow.

For more budget information visit the Cobb government’s budget page.

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