Residents press Whitfield commissioners on administrator pay, contract transparency and spending priorities

Multiple residents argued the board should seek internal cuts and greater transparency before pursuing large tax increases. Karen Rolark and Carol Matthews both urged a review of county salaries and contracting, and Matthews suggested the county could fire the administrator if necessary.

"We don't need a county administrator. We need y'all to be doing that work," Rolark said while urging commissioners to examine expenditures. Carol Matthews said the county's budget choices — including an $11 million construction contract for parks she cited — warranted scrutiny and said she believed elected officials should consider the impact on those with limited incomes.

Speakers referenced prior decisions and grants: Chair Jensen clarified that Prater's Mill used grant funds and the West Side project is SPLOST-funded; several commenters asked for more transparency about procurement, contracting timelines and the county's use of ARPA and other one-time funds.

The noon session recorded citizen demands for expenditure review but no formal direction to staff or board action to change salaries or contracts was made during that meeting.