Griffin Ballet presents Before the Haunting Ghosts
The Griffin Ballet performs at the Griffin Auditorium in downtown Griffin.
City Financial Data
City of Griffin · Fiscal year July 1 – June 30 · FY2026–27 adopted budget and audited statements
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Where the General Fund fills the gaps
FY2026–27 shortfalls in other funds that the General Fund is budgeted to cover.
General Fund revenue mix
FY2020 audited actuals — total revenues $20.58M, per the city's audited financial statements.
Enterprise & special funds — FY27
Budgeted use of fund balance and amounts held in reserve in the adopted FY2026–27 budget.
The fund-balance policy, and the strain on it
The city's GASB 54 fund-balance policy does not set a minimum reserve. It states that the Board will consider amending the policy to include a minimum unassigned fund balance of “(% TO BE DETERMINED)” of the subsequent year's budgeted expenditures — in other words, no minimum percentage has been adopted. (Source: City of Griffin FY2026–27 adopted budget, Policies appendix, via OpenGov.)
What the audited statements do say: the General Fund balance at June 30, 2025 was $20,387,283 (FY2025 ACFR). The FY27 budget draws $11.6 million from that balance, and staff warned commissioners about structural deficits and the sustainability of the enterprise funds.
For scale: audited enterprise operations generated $23.85M in net operating income in FY2024 — Water/Wastewater $13.31M, Electric $9.01M, Solid Waste $1.06M — yet Solid Waste still lands more than $1.5M short in FY27 and needs a General Fund subsidy.
For the General Fund's scale: audited revenues were $20.58M in FY2020. A year later, the FY2021 final budget set General Fund expenditures at $31.2M ($31,236,055) — a spending plan, not a revenue figure (FY2021 ACFR). The FY27 reserve draw is the story to watch this year.
Capital spotlight — the airport move
$83.4 million
The Griffin–Spalding County Airport relocation: a joint city–county project to relocate and expand the municipal airport, with $83.4M in total funding secured — $47.2M from the Georgia General Assembly, $11.9M from GDOT, an $8.8M congressional appropriation, $8.5M from the FAA, and a $7M local bond (May 2026 groundbreaking coverage). The Airport Authority is a component unit of the city — and the airport fund still needs a $506,340 General Fund subsidy in FY27 while the relocation advances.
Who runs the numbers
City of Griffin leadership — updated October 2026.
- Governing bodyAdopted the FY2026–27 budget, 6–0Board of Commissioners
- City Manager (interim)Ratified Oct. 14, 2026 · effective Oct. 2Jennifer Freeman
- Former City ManagerContract terminated without cause, 4–3 vote, Sept. 29, 2026Jessica O'Connor
- Budget adoptedFiscal year begins July 1, 2026June 9, 2026
Local News Feed
Griffin city government, community, and business
Things to do — next four weeks
Concerts, community gatherings, and seasonal events around Griffin — October 23 to November 20, 2026
On the Border — The Ultimate Eagles Tribute
Eagles tribute concert at the Griffin Opera House.
Cemetery Ramble 2026
Cemetery Ramble event at Oak Hill Cemetery in Griffin.
Meet Loaf — The Ultimate Tribute
Meat Loaf tribute show at the Griffin Opera House.
Trick or Treat Through Time
Halloween event at Our Legacy Museum in Griffin.
5th Annual Veterans Day Tribute Concert with Chuck Martin
Fifth annual Veterans Day tribute concert at the Griffin Opera House.
Still Standing — A Tribute to Elton John
Elton John tribute concert at the Griffin Opera House.
Free Thanksgiving Community Lunch
Free community Thanksgiving lunch with free resources and STEM activities for families, hosted by New Hope Baptist Church and New Mercy Baptist Church.
Source: Anne Street Elementary School (official Facebook page)
Legacy & Groove — Earth, Wind & Fire Tribute
Earth, Wind & Fire tribute concert at the Griffin Opera House.
Local news
Recent coverage of Griffin from local and regional outlets, newest first
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Griffin moves to redevelop historic downtown block
The Griffin Downtown Development Authority is soliciting expert proposals to redevelop an East Broad Street block that includes the original Spalding County courthouse, a historic chapel, and vacant land.
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Griffin residents capture ‘space jellyfish’ during SpaceX rocket launch
Residents photographed the glowing twilight plume — the ‘space jellyfish’ effect — from a SpaceX rocket launch visible over Griffin.
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Futral Road students awarded for artwork at county fair
Futral Road Elementary students took home first-, second-, and third-place awards for artwork shown at the Spalding County Fair.
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Caldwell leaves The Griffin Daily News, thanks community for support
A Griffin Daily News journalist says farewell and thanks the Griffin community in a departure column.
The Grapevine — unverified
Rumors, whispers & community chatter
Heard it through the grapevine — not confirmed
Everything in this section is unverified rumor and community chatter collected for entertainment. It has not been reported, sourced, or fact-checked, and none of it should be treated as news. For confirmed information, see the City of Griffin's official channels.
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A resident says the new building going up at US 19/41 and Birdie Rd — which posters had heard would be a gas station — is framed like an automotive shop instead.
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A resident complains Griffin/Spalding road work left some neighborhood roads half-paved and potholes unpatched despite repeated patching.
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A resident says Griffin police did not respond after two calls about gunshots heard outside her home around 2 AM; she gave up waiting after about an hour.
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The owner says her restaurant project, Vibes Southern Bistro in historic downtown Griffin, is nearing completion after several years of delays.
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A resident reports the Hardee's location in Griffin has reopened for business.