The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners has approved a $2.58 billion budget for 2026, representing a decrease of $84.6 million from the previous year’s budget. The new budget includes $2.15 billion allocated for operating expenses and $431 million designated for capital projects, with funds coming in part from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program.
According to officials, the adopted budget will allow Gwinnett County to continue providing key services and programs in public safety and infrastructure. Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson stated, “This budget reflects careful stewardship of our resources and a clear focus on the services residents rely on every day. Through the budget process, we prioritized key initiatives and incorporated feedback from our Citizen Budget Review Team and the public to ensure our investments align with community needs.”
Major initiatives funded by the 2026 budget include upgrading the county’s 911 phone system for faster call processing and improved emergency response, investing in community resource centers that bring services closer to neighborhoods, maintaining road safety through proactive repaving efforts, and continuing reliable water, wastewater, and stormwater services.
Department directors and elected officials submitted business plans as part of the development process. These were reviewed by a four-person committee selected by Chairwoman Hendrickson, which then made recommendations based on departmental requests. The commissioners also sought public input at a hearing held December 2 and accepted online comments through December 31 before finalizing their decision.
Supporting documents for the adopted 2026 budget are available at GwinnettCounty.com.
Recent data shows that enrollment at Gwinnett County schools increased by less than 0.1% during the 2022-23 school year compared to the prior year (https://www.gadoe.org/). The total student population reached 190,044 students during that period (https://www.gadoe.org/), with white students making up 18% of enrolled students—the third largest ethnic group in county schools (https://www.gadoe.org/).
