BALDWIN — After two public hearings Thursday, the Baldwin City Council narrowly approved its 2026 budget and millage rate, voting 3–2 to adopt tax increases for both counties the city spans.
The new rates will rise to 11.990 mills in Habersham County and 7.720 mills in Banks County.
11 a.m. Hearing
The vote followed a day of debate that began with an 11 a.m. public hearing where only
one resident, John Smith, urged city leaders to rein in spending.
“Our budgets were relatively stable from 2018 to 2022, and then they increased more than 100 percent by 2025,” Smith said. “The Consumer Price Index only went up about 10 percent during that time, so our budgets have far outstripped inflation.”
Smith also cited audit findings showing the city’s expenditures have exceeded appropriations in recent years.
“Not only has the budget exploded, but our spending has outpaced the budget,” he said. “This pattern appears to continue with no end in sight.”
He questioned how staffing and technology costs have grown while the city continues to cite limited manpower.
“Something is awry in Baldwin,” Smith said. “I hope this council or a subsequent council will stop this endless progression of out-of-control spending in all areas.”
6 p.m. Hearing and Vote
The council reconvened at 6 p.m. for its second public hearing and vote. At the 11 a.m. meeting, only Smith was in attendance, but there were several more people in the crowd for the evening session.
Despite more residents in the crowd, oddly no one signed up to make public comments. Only one resident, Debbie Satterfield, addressed the audience, saying she hoped the next Council wouldn’t raise their property taxes again.
Council members Alice Venter and Maarten Venter opposed the measure, citing concerns over unchecked expenses.
After the meeting, Councilwoman Alice Venter said she voted “no” because she had not yet achieved the spending cuts she pledged to pursue earlier in the budget cycle.
“I did vote for the budget when we had the budget hearing because things do need to get paid for,” Venter said. “However, I made some promises to make cuts that I did not get done—and that’s nobody’s fault but mine. For as long as I’m in office, I will look for every way possible that I can make cuts.”
Venter said she believes Baldwin must work with both Habersham and Banks counties to find long-term cost-sharing solutions.
“The only way that we’re going to be able to bring down property taxes is to work with the other government bodies to provide service,” she said. “Otherwise we cannot continue to exist like this and put people out of their homes.”
Animal-control funding remains unresolved
Venter also said that ongoing discussions with Habersham County about providing animal-control services remain stalled as both governments finalize their budgets.
“It’s not that I don’t want animal control—it’s that it’s low on the list compared to other fires the county has to put out right now,” she said. “Every time we go to approach this, it’s always at the wrong time—right in the middle of the year when they’re working on budgets.”
She added that a city-funded spay-and-neuter initiative could reduce costs and improve outcomes over time.
“The biggest problem is the pet population,” Venter said. “The only solution is spay and neuter. Year over year, as people are able to go and have their pets spayed and neutered, the population will come down, and there’ll be less need for animal control.”
Thursday night’s vote finalizes Baldwin’s 2026 spending plan after months of discussion and multiple public hearings on the budget and millage rate.
