Centerville adopts budget, approves street resurfacing and water meters

CENTERVILLE — Budgets, home improvements and utility projects were the main points of action at the city of Centerville’s latest work session on Tuesday, July 15. 

The first item on the agenda was adoption of the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget, totaling $15.2 million.

According to council documents, $6.7 million in expenditures was approved for the general fund, $4.6 million for the water and sewer fund, $1.6 million for the sanitation fund and $876,000 for the SPLOST fund.

In the general fund, the largest revenue source is from taxes. $2.8 million is expected to come from property taxes; $1.8 million is expected from other taxes.

General fund expenditures are divided among several departments: $4.4 million to public safety, $1.1 million to general government, and the remaining amount is split among public works, housing and development, judicial, and recreation.

A full look at the budget can be found by contacting the City Clerk’s office or on the city’s website.

During the meeting, Mayor J. Micheal Evans spoke about transparency between the city and citizens and Centerville’s future.

“We’ve always talked about making sure that things are transparent here in the city of Centerville, especially with the budget. … I’m excited for us to get started with the new fiscal year. It’s a new beginning. We’ve got a lot of exciting things that are going to be happening in the next fiscal year, and I’m quite looking forward to it, just as the rest of the council, I’m sure, is looking forward to it,” Evans said.

The city also took steps to secure funding for home improvement. The city has accepted a grant of $500,000 from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, which will be allocated to eligible Centerville homeowners to assist with property improvements.

According to City Accountant Carol Harrison, the agreement will commence on September 1 and extend through August 31, 2028, with the option to extend the grant for an additional year.

Harrison said eligible homeowners must fall under 80% of the county’s median income and be up to date on taxes and fire insurance. According to the DCA, the home must be owner-occupied and the mortgage must be up to date. Homes built before 1955 may not qualify.

The city also made progress on resurfacing Autumn Court and Village Walk. The city chose to work with C.W. Matthews for just over $309,000.

According to City Administrator Krista Bedingfield, the resurfacing is an extension of a Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant project, which includes Collins Avenue and Elberta Road.

The city is also working to replace 700 water meters through a $55,000 partnership with Core & Main.

Meter installation is expected to begin in September, according to Bedingfield, and is anticipated to take approximately one month to complete. Evans said the city has been charging the minimum rate due to malfunctioning meters and wanted to remedy the issue quickly. 

Evans mentioned that water would be billed accurately based on usage, allowing the city to recover the replacement cost, a notion echoed by Bedingfield. He added the meters will be electronically read on site, eliminating the need to check them manually.

A full livestream of Tuesday’s meeting and supporting documents can be found on the city’s Facebook.