The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners on January 4 approved a $2.07 billion budget for 2022, up 8.1 percent from last year. The newly approved budget does not require a millage rate increase.

The adopted spending plan consists of a $1.6 billion operating budget and a $455 million capital improvements budget, which includes funds from the County’s voter-approved SPLOST program.

Quick links for the 2022 budget
2022 Budget Document
2022 Budget in Brief
Adopted 2022 budget resolution
Adopted 2022 budget video

Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson said the budget continues the county’s long tradition of conservative spending while addressing the many needs of one of Georgia’s fastest growing counties.

“We worked for months with an advisory team of residents, our finance staff, department heads, and elected officials to prioritize spending for a balanced, fiscally sound budget,” Hendrickson said. “This budget makes intentional investments that address core services, health and human service expansion and ongoing recovery efforts from the pandemic.”

With more growth on the horizon, the County’s services and infrastructure must keep up. Two-thirds of the operating budget is dedicated to the areas of public safety and public works. The capital budget will pay for new facilities, roads and parks as well as maintenance for existing assets and infrastructure.

Budget highlights include:

• Funding to support the 2022 mid-term elections in addition to $4.4 million in expanded election services – eight new positions in the Elections Division, an increase to poll official pay, four new advance voting satellite locations, the cost of postage for mailing in absentee ballots, and voter outreach mailings
• $2 million for a multi-year expansion of the Gwinnett County Transit system that will bring new routes to a wider area of the county, including micro transit. After three years, this expansion will increase local bus services by 58 percent, commuter bus services by 20 percent, and paratransit services by 40 percent
• $2.4 million for 30 additional sworn police officer positions
• $6.3 million for the Eastern Regional Infrastructure Project in the eastern part of the county, which will include five miles of new public greenway trails, two trailheads, upgraded and expanded water service, and expanded sewer service

The 2022 budget also includes:

• $222 million for water and sewer services
• $17.6 million for resurfacing county roads
• $36.9 million for technology to maintain, modernize and secure county information systems
• $496,560 for a police and mental health collaboration program to help people in mental distress
• $117,000 for the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center to support new, local businesses
• $550,000 for indigent medical care
• $250,000 to aid in planning for comprehensive affordable housing

As part of the budget development process, department directors and elected officials presented business plans for 2022 to the budget review committee that included five Gwinnett residents recruited by Chairwoman Hendrickson who reviewed the departmental requests and made recommendations for the budget proposal.     

Commissioners held a public hearing on the budget December 6, 2021, and accepted comments in writing and online through December 31, 2021, before making their final decision.

Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson presented her proposed budget on November 16 to guide County government spending for the 2022 fiscal year.

The proposed budget totals $2.06 billion, up 7.8 percent from the 2021 adopted budget. It consists of a $1.6 billion operating budget and a $454 million capital improvements budget, which includes funds from the County’s voter-approved SPLOST program.

Commissioners accepted public comments at a public hearing held December 6 and online through December 31. They will adopt a final budget Tuesday, January 4, 2022.

Quick links for the proposed 2022 budget

Proposed 2022 budget resolution summary
Proposed 2022 budget video
Budget highlights presentation

Chairwoman Hendrickson said the proposed budget does not contemplate a millage rate increase.

“After working for several months with County staff, citizens, and our board members, I am proud to present the 2022 budget,” said Nicole Hendrickson. “Building on the County’s historically fiscally conservative approach, we have a budget that is balanced, fiscally sound, and makes intentional investments in our community to address core services, health and human service needs, and ongoing recovery efforts of this pandemic.”

With more growth on the horizon, the County’s services and infrastructure must keep up.

Two-thirds of the operating budget, which funds everyday expenses such as employee salaries, benefits, equipment, and repairs, is dedicated to the areas of public safety and public works. New initiatives to be funded by the operating budget include the expansion of mental health response teams in the Gwinnett Police Department in partnership with View Point Health and additional training staff in the Sheriff’s Office.

The capital budget will pay for new libraries, roads, and parks.

Department directors and elected officials presented business plans for 2022 to the budget review committee earlier this year as part of the budget development process. Those presentations are available for viewing online through TV Gwinnett. Five Gwinnett residents recruited by Chairwoman Hendrickson reviewed the departmental requests and made recommendations for the budget proposal.

The proposed 2022 budget resolution is also available as a hard copy in the Financial Services office at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville during business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00am until 5:00pm.

County elected officials, department directors, and agency heads presented their business plans and financial resource requests for budget year 2022 from Monday, August 30 to Thursday, September 2.

This year, Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson invited five residents to help review needs and allocate resources for the 2022 budget. Two of this year’s committee members, David Cuffie and Asif Jessani, are veterans. Cuffie is the CEO of Total Vision Consulting and Director of Church Ministries for Berean Christian Church Gwinnett and Jessani is a principal marketing and technology consultant with CCS. Both men graduated from Gwinnett 101 Citizens Academy and have stayed active in county advocacy and volunteering. New to the review team this year: Founder of RudHil Companies and Co-Chair of the GHCC Hispanic Business Center, Hilda Abbot; former law enforcement officer and small business owner Matt DeReimer, also a Gwinnett 101 alumnus; and Michelle Kang with the Korean American Chamber of Commerce.

The Chairwoman’s proposed 2022 budget will be made available to the public and news media at the same time it is presented to commissioners on November 16. A public hearing on the budget will be held December 6, 2021. By County ordinance, the Board of Commissioners must adopt the annual budget during its first meeting in January.

Recordings and on-demand video of the budget presentations can be found online. The business plans will also be available on the County’s government access channel TV Gwinnett.