Rome Floyd County Development Authority approves 2026 budget

Chairman Jimmy Byars called the Rome Floyd County Development Authority meeting to order at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Rome and the board approved the authority's 2026 budget by a 6-0 vote.

Board member Doc Kibler presented the November 2025 financial report, saying the authority recorded a net loss of $7,503.79 for the month and reported a balance-sheet total of $17,959,127.72. Kibler moved to accept the financial report; Evie McNiece seconded and the motion passed with Kibler, McNiece, Craig McDaniel, Allison Watters, Ryan Miller and Byars voting in favor.

Spencer Hogg, the authority's president, briefed the board on activity and prospects. Hogg said there have been four new prospect inquiries and two site visits since the prior meeting, that all PILOT fees have been collected, and that a Clean Up Grant is on track for demolition work beginning in the spring. He also announced that development authority training is scheduled for Jan. 20, 2026, immediately following the January board meeting from 10 a.m. to noon, and reported the authority's marketing campaigns produced more than 60,000 digital impressions since November.

On new business, Hogg presented the proposed 2026 budget. Doc Kibler moved to approve the budget and Allison Watters seconded; Kibler, Watters, McDaniel, McNiece, Miller and Byars voted in favor and the budget was adopted.

The authority noted it did not enter executive session during the meeting. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.