Fulton County budget boycott: Leaders refuse to attend hearings
Fulton County leaders boycott budget hearings
Fulton County justice leaders including the sheriff, district attorney, and chief probate judge announced a boycott of upcoming budget hearings.
FULTON COUNTY, Ga - A group of top Fulton County law enforcement and judicial leaders will boycott upcoming budget hearings in protest of the county's revised drafting process.
Fulton County budget hearing boycott
What we know:
The coalition calling themselves "Justice Leaders," which includes the sheriff, district attorney, superior court clerk, solicitor general, probate court chief judge and public defender, announced Wednesday that they will not attend scheduled budget hearings starting next week.
Leaders sent a joint letter and held a news conference outlining their decision to decline live presentations. Their primary objection centers on a new framework that require department heads to present critical funding needs to a two-commissioner panel rather than the full board.
Under the current structure, District 2 Commissioner Bob Ellis and District 6 Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman sit on the Budget Commission. The panel evaluates department requests and makes recommendations for the final budget but does not possess final voting power.
The justice leaders also raised concerns over a directive asking all county departments to limit any request for additional funding to 5% above current allocations for the upcoming 2027 billion-dollar-plus budget.
"We believe it to be our duty to call attention to what we believe to be a lack of proper investment in the entire ecosystem of the courts," said Fulton County Solicitor General Keith Gammage.
Justice leaders demand full board hearings
What they're saying:
Fulton County Chief Probate Judge Kenya Moore, speaking on behalf of the coalition, stated that the group respectfully declines to participate in a format that limits the voices of the justice system.
"We respectfully decline to participate in a process that unnecessarily limits the voices of the justice system," Moore said.
Sheriff Patrick Labat criticized the two-commissioner arrangement as unfair to county agencies and taxpayers.
"For two commissioners to take a hold of this project—hijack this process is simply unfair," Labat said.
Commissioners defend budget process
The other side:
Commissioner Bob Ellis addressed the coalition's concerns, noting that the Budget Commission is solely responsible for drafting recommendations and that the full Board of Commissioners will review and vote on the final budget.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear whether the Board of Commissioners will adjust the hearing schedule or agree to host a full-board presentation session for the justice departments before January.
Written budget submissions
What's next:
Despite refusing to appear in person for next week's hearings, all participating justice department leaders confirmed they have submitted their formal 2027 budget requests in writing.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a news conference and letter issued by Fulton County Justice Leaders, statements from Probate Court Chief Judge Kenya Moore, Sheriff Patrick Labat, Commissioner Bob Ellis, Solicitor General Keith Gammage, and Clerk Che Alexander, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Aungelique Proctor.