Douglas County's $28M ARP Allocation Dominated By Public Safety, Employee Raises

DOUGLAS COUNTY, GA — Douglas County commissioners allocated $28.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act money during a special called meeting Tuesday, with roughly $9 million — or 31 percent— going toward raises and one-time bonuses for public safety employees and county staff across the two-year allocation.

The ARP Act, passed by Congress in March, allocated a total of $28,425,412 to Douglas County, and the first half of the payment — roughly $14.2 million — was received in July. The second half will be received a year later if the first allocation is spent or encumbered.

According to a presentation from Douglas County Administrator Sharon Subadan, the county is breaking down how it plans to spend the money as follows:

• Public safety: 27 percent
• Employee stability: 19 percent
• Broadband and infrastructure: 17 percent
• Community stability: 11 percent
• Public health: 10 percent
• Technology: 10 percent
• Economic stability: 2 percent
• Recreation: 4 percent

"While we wish we could fund every project, priorities are what we had to look at, and based on your input we tried to reduce without eliminating any of the things that both yourselves and the community have expressed [as] your most important priorities," Subadan said to commissioners during the meeting.

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Public safety employees will receive a 10 percent pay increase in 2022, and a 5 percent pay increase in 2023. Other non-public safety employees will receive a 5 percent pay increase in each of those years — and no county employee will earn less than $15 per hour.

“For the first time in 100 years, we get to address some issues that we would not have normally been able to address,” said District 2 Commissioner Kelly Robinson. “It is much needed, and public safety is important.”

Other line-item allocations include, but are not limited to:

• Increase broadband for underserved areas countywide: $2 million
• Courthouse reconfiguration to make room for jury trials and judicial activities: $1.75 million
• Technology upgrades/cybersecurity: $1.2 million
• Community detention pond cleanup/blight removal and neglected areas: $1 million
  • Will be split between four districts
• Fairburn Senior Center renovations (grant match): $850,000
• Community Services Board - Mental Health: $850,000
• Senior center at Dog River: $850,000
• Rental and homeowner assistance: $500,000
• Small business assistance: $250,000

To see a full list of allocations, visit Douglas County's website.