Treutlen County Reports A Clean Audit
Treutlen County Board of Commissioners, in their regular session held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, addressed multiple issues and reported a clean audit review.
Georgia counties are required to have annual audits conducted by an independent Certified Public Accountant. The board also conducts its own internal audits in preparation for the professional audit, and Chairman Jennings reported that in the previous year’s audit there were no significant findings, resulting in a clean audit report.
Chairman Jennings updated the board on the county wide curbside trash collection contracts. The bids are in and reviewing will start this week.
A vacancy on the Treutlen County Tax Assessors Board was also addressed following the resignation of Board Chairman Chris Kight on February 5, 2026. In a letter to the Board of Commissioners, Kight recommended Donna Young, the county’s current tax assessor, to fill the position. Kight described Young as “well-respected by her peers,” as well as by the Georgia Department of Revenue and the Department of Audits. He expressed confidence in her ability to guide property owners through upcoming tax changes. After discussion, the commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Young to the Tax Assessors Board.
The board unanimously passed a motion to adopt a county ordinance to address a long-standing problem with companies driving heavy equipment on county roads, both paved and dirt, causing damage to the roads at the expense of the county government.
According to the ordinance, damages caused by vehicles and heavy equipment on paved county roads may incur fines up to $1,000, up to 30 days in Treutlen County Jail and restitution in the amount of the cost of the repair. Permission from the Board of Commissioners will be required to operate heavy equipment on paved roads. While heavy equipment operation upon dirt roads is not strictly prohibited, any operation on dirt roads that results in significant damage necessitating repair by the county will be considered a violation of the ordinance. The ordinance will run in the local paper and on social media before taking effect on April 1, 2026.
Treutlen County EMA Deputy Director Joseph Glenn provided several agency updates. He reported that the county currently uses CodeRED to issue emergency notifications. However, following a November 2025 cyberattack on CodeRED’s parent company that encrypted internal files and compromised subscriber data, the company suspended access and began transitioning customers to a new system.
After reviewing alternatives, the EMA selected Regroup as its new emergency notification platform. “Regroup is exactly the same thing as CodeRED — nothing changes,” Glenn said. “They take all our 7,000 contacts, put them in their profile, and then we send out mass notifications,” he told the Commissioners.
Residents will need to sign up for the new system, but Regroup will provide QR codes to simplify enrollment. Glenn noted the service will be significantly cheaper, costing approximately $2,500 annually with a one-time $800 setup fee. Features previously offered at higher costs under CodeRED will be included at no additional charge. The board voted unanimously to transition to Regroup once the current CodeRED contract expires in March 2026.
Glenn also reported the drone has arrived. It has been tested and charged but not flown as it does not yet have the FFA required tail number. Glenn reported the registration process to get this number is quite extensive. The North Carolina based drone company will be coming in early March to help with the registration process and drone training. Chairman Jennings said the drone needed to be insured and asked Glenn to look into the cost of insurance.
Additional EMA updates included completed election plans, secured grant funding for medical bags and forcible-entry tools for all deputies, and the purchase of three portable scene lights for the EMA. The county Dive Team is training in preparation for the Emergency Response Diving International courses later this year and has been conducting full-face mask training as well.
Glenn reminded the commissioners the upcoming spring season could bring the possibility of damaging winds, heavy rain and hail and possible tornados. He assured the board the EMA team will be keeping an eye on weather patterns and will keep the community updated should severe weather conditions develop.
Six county business license applications that had been previously reviewed were approved. The board voted a blanket approval as there were no issues with any of the applications.
The county’s financial report showed as of February 2026 the following balances: Regular Account – General Fund $720,403.64, Certificate of Deposit, $420,007.95, Local Maintenance Improvement Grant, $830,605.42, 2019 SPLOST funds $411,703.04, 2025 SPLOST funds $468,882.63, Crime Victims Assistance Fund $256,686.65, Drug Abuse Treatment Education funds $26,744.89, Federal Drug Seizure Fund $62,075.38, State Drug Seizure money $842.54, E-911 funds $414,757.32, Jail Reserve $48,103.25, Treutlen/ Wheeler Landfill fund $10,036.74, T-SPLOST $416,682.35.
The next Board of Commissioners meeting was scheduled for Monday, March 2, 2026, at 6 p.m, The public was encouraged to attend.
