Macon-Bibb County commissioners approve $221M budget for 2027. What we know
The Macon-Bibb County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved next year’s $221 million budget, which will allocate over 50% toward public safety.
The $221 million budget — obtained through taxes, business licenses, intergovernmental revenue, charges for services, fines, investment income, rent and other financial resources — was sponsored by Mayor Lester Miller. When Miller proposed the budget to the Board of Commissioners on May 19, he told them that his highest priority was funding for public safety.
Breakdown of the public safety budget
Departments that fall under public safety received 57.14% of the budget, or more than $126 million, according to Macon-Bibb County’s Minutes and Agenda from Tuesday. Of the public safety budget, the sheriff’s office was allocated more than $60 million. It accounts for 47.5% of the public safety budget.
More than $38 million of the sheriff’s budget will go toward salaries and benefits, more than $18 million will go toward operational expenses and more than $3 million will go toward equipment, according to the budget document.
The Macon-Bibb County Fire Department was allocated more than $34 million, about 27.2% of the public safety budget. More than $29 million will go toward employees’ salaries and benefits. More than $4 million will go toward operational expenses and $73,000 will go toward equipment.
Other departments include:
- The court system, which includes superior, state, civil, probate, magistrate, juvenile and municipal courts. It also includes the district attorney, the state court solicitor’s office, the grand jury and the public defender’s office. The court system received $26,937,364.
- The coroner’s office, which received more than $776,000.
- Animal welfare, which received more than $1.3 million.
- The Emergency Management Agency, which received more than $811,000.
- Code Enforcement, which received more than $2.1 million.
Breakdown of the administrative budget
Administrative departments in the county received more than $26 million in the 2027 budget, or 12%. Facilities management received more than $12 million of the budget, with more than $3 million going toward salaries and benefits, more than $8 million going toward operational expenses and $67,000 going toward equipment.
The Information Technology department received more than $9 million, with more than $2 million going toward salaries and benefits, more than $6 million toward operational expenses and more than $93,000 toward equipment.
More than $400,000 will go toward administrative purchases.
Other departments include:
- The Human Resources department, which received more than $1.8 million.
- The Risk Management department, which received more than $1.5 million.
- The Internal Audit department, which received more than $300,000.
- The Data and Records Management department, which received more than $186,000.
- The Small Business Affairs department, which received $230,000.
- Mail Services, which was allocated $403,000.
More than $600,000 was allocated for general administrative fees.
Breakdown of other departments’ budgets
Departments working for community and social services account for 10.73% of the 2027 budget; they received more than $23 million. The recreation department received most of its budget; it got more than $8 million.
Other departments include:
- The Health Department, which received $1.1 million.
- The Welfare Department, which received more than $5 million.
- Community Services, which received more than $4.7 million.
- The Parks & Beautification Department, which received $4.3 million.
- Extension Services, which received more than $404,000.
- The Economic & Community Development Department, which received $45,000.
The Industrial and Urban Development department received more than $6 million from the 2027 budget.
Macon-Bibb County government received more than $10 million, accounting for 4.80% of the 2027 budget. The county attorney was allocated the largest portion of the government’s budget, receiving over $4.3 million.
Other departments include:
- The Board of Commissioners, which received more than $700,000.
- The mayor’s office, which received more than $530,000.
- The county manager received more than $2.4 million.
- The county clerk received more than $460,000.
- The Board of Elections, which received more than $2.1 million.
The finance and revenue departments received more than $9 million from the 2027 budget, or 4.16%. It includes the tax commissioner, who received more than $4.4 million; tax assessors, who received more than $2.4 million; and the finance department, which received $2.2 million.
Departments working for Macon’s infrastructure and public works account for 3% of the 2027 budget. The public works department received more than $6.1 million, while the engineering department received more than $2.1 million.
