Board Delays Budget Vote, Enacts 180 Day Moratorium on Data Centers

The Walker County Board of Commissioners took the following actions at their meeting on August 6th:

• The Board removed the vote on the FY2027 budget from the agenda and agreed to hold another work session before moving forward. The current budget proposal includes about $1.9 million in expenses above projected revenues. Along with inflationary increases and state mandates, some higher costs, like the new ambulance service contract, are locked in. Additional firefighters, cost of living adjustments for employees, and subsidies for services with fees that no longer cover the cost of the service remain topics of discussion. Walker County operates on an October 1 to September 30 budget year, so a new budget, or continuing resolution, must be approved by September 30th.
• The Board approved a variance request by the Battlefield Veterans Village Foundation to place some manufactured homes on Park City Road, which is in the Battlefield Overlay District. The homes will house homeless veterans and those facing homelessness.
• The Board voted to close a portion of Concord Road in East Armuchee.
• The Board approved a Resolution directing the County to apply for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant to make recreational enhancements at Adventure Acres Park.
• The Board enacted a 180 day moratorium on data centers in unincorporated Walker County. This prevents a potential data center from requesting a permit, while the county attorney and other staff members review the county's zoning code and propose amendments that will enhance, mitigate and regulate this specific form of land use. Some of the topics to be considered include allowable zoning districts, setbacks, buffers, noise, lighting, water and electricity demand, environmental impacts and compatibility with surrounding land uses. In addition to the moratorium, the Board created a data center study group to provide additional input.
• The Board voted down a proposal to raise fares for Walker Transit from $4 per trip to $5 per trip for seniors and individuals with disabilities and $10 per trip for everyone else. Fares at Walker Transit have not been adjusted since 2014 and the program lost $692,036 last year.