By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Sheriffs office ready to put new cars on the road
new cars 2
The Effingham County Sheriffs Office is adding more Dodge Chargers to its fleet to replace older Ford Crown Victorias that have been totaled in accidents. - photo by Photo by Pat Donahue

The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office soon will put new cars on the road, replacing four cars no longer serviceable because of wrecks.


The ECSO will put new Dodge Chargers on the streets to replace patrol cars lost to striking a deer and to other accidents. Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie said they could use some of the gear from the wrecked vehicles in the new cars, but it will take work. The cars were Ford Crown Victorias, a model no longer in production.


“The blue lights are the same,” the sheriff said, “but we have to have new brackets. Most of the electronic stuff we can swap over but the new brackets have to be changed.”


Commissioners approved the purchase of four cars while figuring out where to the draw the money from to pay for them. The county received $15,675 in insurance payments for three of the four vehicles totaled.


“We’re working on payment for the fourth vehicle,” county purchasing agent Fiona Charleton said.


The sheriff’s office paid for two vehicles through its own funds. The sheriff’s office also priced a Ford Interceptor Utility vehicle and a Chevrolet Caprice. The Chargers are $22,300 each, more than $4,000 below the next lowest-priced vehicle.


The ECSO is acquiring its new Dodge Chargers from Butler in Beaufort, S.C., the nearest dealer that sells police-duty Dodge Chargers. Butler also can deliver the cars immediately while Chargers through the federal General Services Administration where more than $2,000 more expensive per car and would not be delivered for another four to six weeks.


While there are not general fund revenues appropriated to cover the cost of the new cars, the county does have money coming from savings on the jail inmate food service contract and on higher-than-anticipated proceeds, about $287,000, from the insurance rollback. The county is estimating to save $10,000 a month from its new jail inmate food service contract.


The county and the city of Rincon also are working on bringing the south communications tower back online. County Administrator David Crawley said radio equipment provider Motorola offered a proposal of $531,000 for apparatus needed at the tower, and other infrastructure costs to get the tower back in operation on a short-term basis were pegged at $93,000.


“It doesn’t address the long term we have to deal with,” Crawley said, “which is about another $1.2 million in the future.”


Annual service agreements also may run nearly $75,000, and Crawley said the county is looking to consolidate those agreements.


“We think there could be some savings there,” he said.


If the equipment is put in place, the tower could be back online as soon as September.


Crawley said officials are working to finalize the frequencies the tower could use, and that some state frequencies may be available. Using state frequencies could save money.


“They may be able to give us seven frequencies,” he said.

Effingham Schools Approve Property Tax Rate Increase
School Property Tax Rate Increase
Comparison of the property tax impact for Effingham County homeowners under the approved millage rate increase, showing the difference from fiscal year 2025 to 2026.

SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — The Effingham County Board of Education unanimously approved raising the property tax rate from 16.5 to 18.45 mills. For a homeowner with a $350,000 property, that’s about $22 more per month. The vote was 5-0.

Why the Increase is Needed
District officials said the adjustment is necessary to cover rising costs and remain competitive in attracting and retaining teachers and staff. More than 87% of the district’s budget goes to salaries and benefits for employees ranging from classroom teachers to bus drivers, nurses, counselors, paraprofessionals, and administrators.

Most of the increase is tied to an $8 million spike in required contributions to state benefit plans.

The state’s health and retirement benefits for certified employees — teachers — are going up 7% in 2026, finance director Lauren Cain, said. Benefits for non-certified employees — staff — are rising 36%. That’s a total of $8 million more in health and retirement benefits the district will have to cover.

Although the state is increasing funding to Effingham schools by $4 million, it will cover only about half the benefits hike, she said.

As of July 1, premiums for the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) have nearly doubled since FY2023, jumping from $945 to $1,885 per month per employee. In addition, the district’s contribution rate to the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) has increased from 20.78% to 21.91%.  

To help offset those rising costs, the district voted to raise the millage rate.

Millage Rate

Balancing Costs & Education
Superintendent Yancy Ford previously called the increase “an investment in every child’s future.” He said, “Smaller class sizes, highly qualified teachers, and strong support staff are all proven to raise student achievement. This millage rate increase allows us to continue building on our successes and to make sure every child in Effingham County has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.”

Ford also acknowledged the strain on taxpayers. “We don’t want to put the taxpayers in this position next year,” he said. He promised to “dissect the budget” and search for ways to “lower costs” while still doing what’s best for students. “We know people are feeling it,” he added.

Fiscal Accountability & Academic Record
While the millage rate itself rises about 11.5%, higher property values mean overall revenue collections will increase nearly 26%. School leaders say the additional funds will help preserve Effingham’s strong academic record, which includes a 90.7% graduation rate, above-average reading scores in elementary grades, and SAT results that top both state and national averages.

Ford  emphasized accountability in managing taxpayer funds. Every dollar from this millage rate increase is an investment directly tied to student learning, he said.

Effingham Schools recently earned a 4.5 Financial Efficiency Star Rating from the Georgia Department of Education, ranking fourth out of 180 school systems statewide.

Public Concerns
About 20 residents attended the final public hearing before the vote. Several property owners, retirees on fixed incomes, and business owners voiced frustration over rising appraisals, cost of living increases, and tax abatements for industry.

Historical Millage Rate Chart

Looking Ahead: ESPLOST Vote

Looking ahead, the district is preparing to ask voters in November to approve another ESPLOST (Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax). If passed, funds would go toward capital projects such as facility upgrades and technology improvements.