Business Session Preview, August 18, 2026
Property tax appeals are quietly taking over this agenda. The county wants seven additional Boards of Equalization and is also switching hearing officers to an hourly rate, both on the same consent agenda.
🔦 The 3 items worth your attention
The county’s Clerk of Court is asking commissioners to request that the Grand Jury stand up seven new Boards of Equalization, bringing the total to eight for tax year 2026. Right now there’s one. Going from one board to eight is a significant capacity expansion for property owners contesting their assessments, if your tax bill is one you’re fighting, this affects how fast you get heard. (2026-1058)
Hearing officers who run those ad valorem appeal hearings currently earn $175 per parcel and $50 per read-in appeal. That’s changing to $385 an hour flat. Whether that’s a better or worse deal for the county depends entirely on how long hearings run, and the agenda doesn’t say. (2026-1073)
Retiree health insurance: Humana is up for a new Medicare Advantage contract covering January through December 2027, worth up to $7.9M. The current-year plan with Humana is also getting bumped by about $586K in the same action. Two separate line items, one vendor, one meeting. (2026-1085) Why, per the city: Provide a Medicare Advantage Plan to retired Gwinnett County employees.
🏗️ Roads & property
- Drainage work at Moore Road and Crofton Landing Road goes to Backbone Infrastructure for up to $396K, paid from 2017 SPLOST funds. Six bids came in on that one. (2026-1039)
- An airport lease at Gwinnett County Airport is being reassigned from Sheltair Aviation to GMD Properties, doing business as Aircraft Specialists Jet Center. No dollar figure is attached. (2026-0871)
- Water Resources needs an encroachment agreement with Atlanta Gas Light to run the Middle Yellow River Interceptor gravity sewer through a property at 1859 Rolling River Drive. (2026-1077)
💰 Where the money’s going
- Humana Insurance Company, retiree Medicare Advantage Plan, Jan–Dec 2027: $7,852,596.48 (2026-1085)
- Xylem Dewatering Solutions, Inc., water and sewer valve inspection, year four of four: $2,400,000.00 (2026-1036)
- Clean Water Consultants, Inc., watershed improvement services renewal: $2,000,000.00 (2026-1020)
- Multiple vendors, traffic signal electrical equipment renewal, first of four renewal options: $1,675,000.00 (2026-1038)
- Multiple vendors, painting and general-purpose maintenance contract increase, raising the total to $1,466,645.00 (2026-1055)
- The Dickerson Group, Inc. / Civil Construction & Utilities, LLC, large water meter replacement renewal: $480,000.00 (2026-1037)
- E&E Construction Company, Inc., tile replacement at Bethesda Park Aquatic Center, 2 bids received: $273,905.00 (2026-1066)
- Eco-Tech, LLC, 19 replacement check valves at F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center: $287,635.00 (2026-1019)
- AEST Fire & Safety, fire hoses, sole source purchase: $149,880.00 (2026-1048)
📌 Also notable
- Joy Monroe and Marlene Fosque are each up for seats on the Homelessness Task Force, representing Districts 2 and 1 respectively. (2026-1093, 2026-1128)
- Avery Prevost fills Dr. Tameka Womack’s seat on the Animal Control Hearing Board through July 2027. (2026-1094)
- The Sugarloaf CID gets permission to add banners to county-owned poles in its district, at the CID’s cost. (2026-1006)
The August 18 Business Session begins at 2:00 p.m. at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville. Public comment sign-up opens at 1:30 p.m. Written comments can be submitted through the county’s online portal before the meeting.
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