Walker County Chairwoman Angie Teems and her staff presented the proposed fiscal 2026 county budget to the Board of Commissioners Thursday night during a special called meeting. The chairwoman said the $36.8 million spending plan reflects her commitment to responsible stewardship, aimed at strengthening the government’s ability to deliver high-quality services to citizens.
“Over the past six months, I’ve studied how we spend our citizen’s tax dollars and what we can do to have a positive impact on their lives through county services,” said Chairwoman Teems. “I believe this budget establishes a good framework to position the county to start investing in the services that will most benefit our residents going forward.”
The proposed budget includes additional funding for law enforcement, fire rescue, emergency management and road maintenance. It also includes a 3 percent cost of living adjustment for salaries that are not in line with the rest of the county.
A large appropriation is proposed for public works in the budget. Additional funding is included to create five new positions in the road department aimed at expediting maintenance projects. A modest allocation is also proposed for recreational improvements at the county’s park locations in Rock Spring and Rossville.
Public hearings on the fiscal 2026 budget will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, and Thursday, Aug. 7, at Courthouse Annex IV, at 201 S. Duke St. in LaFayette.
Once finalized by the Board, the new budget would take effect Oct. 1 and fund county government through Sept. 30, 2026.