On the agenda: Cowetacoga Coweta County Board of Commissioners - Called Meeting/Public Hearing — data center (Aug 25)

Coweta County Board of Commissioners
Called Meeting/Public Hearing
Agenda

August 25, 2026

7:30 AM

22 East Broad Street
Newnan, GA 30263

www.coweta.ga.us
Shannon Zerangue
County Clerk
770.254.2601
Commission Chambers
37 Perry Street
Newnan, GA 30263

Coweta County Board of Commissioners
Roll Call/Call to Order
Meeting Called to Order
Pledge of Allegiance
Invocation
Notification of Location of Rules

Public Hearing (The Chairman will call for any comments regarding the following items after
each item is presented)
1.

Second Public Hearing Regarding the Proposed 2026 Millage Rates

Public Comments Regarding Items Not on the Agenda – This section is for any public
comments regarding items NOT on the agenda. In accordance with the rules governing the
meeting, up to 10 speakers will be afforded 3 minutes to speak and will be respectfully
heard by the Board without public display or approval/disapproval from the audience. The
Board does not engage with speakers during their comments. The Board will listen to any
questions or comments and take them into consideration but will ask the County
Administrator or staff to correct any inconsistencies or false statements after the speaker
has been heard without debate.
Executive Session - In accordance with O.C.G.A. § 50-14-2
Regular Session
Affidavit

Coweta County Board of Commissioners

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Adjournment
As set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1992, the Coweta County government does not
discriminate on the basis of disability, and will assist citizens with special needs given proper notice (48
hours). For information, please call (770) 254-2608.

Coweta County Board of Commissioners

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Item # 1

Administration
To:
From:
Date:
RE:

Coweta County Board of Commissioners
Autumn Payne, Deputy County Clerk
August 25, 2026
Second Public Hearing Regarding the Proposed 2026 Millage Rates

Issue:
Second Public Hearing Regarding the Proposed 2026 MIllage Rates
Discussion:
State law requires that the property tax rate or millage rate be set annually by the local taxing
jurisdiction, which is the Board of Commissioners in Coweta County.
When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires taxing authorities
to compute a rollback millage rate for maintenance and operations that will produce the same
total revenue based on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have
produced had no reassessments occurred.
For 2026, the calculated rollback millage rate is 3.756 mills.
Staff recommends that the Board consider adopting a millage rate above the rollback rate in
unincorporated Coweta County to support the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
In order to adopt a millage rate above the rollback rate, it is necessary to hold three (3) Public
Hearings. This is the second of the three Public Hearings with the first Public Hearing being held
on August 11, 2026 and the third scheduled for August 25, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
The notice of property tax increase, the five (5) year history, and the press release have been
properly submitted to the legal organ (Newnan Times Herald) and posted on the County’s

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website as required by state law.
In order to explain the 2026 millage rate options, staff will review a presentation for
consideration by the Board at this time.
Fiscal Impact:

Recommendation:
Staff recommends the Board close the second Public Hearing regarding the proposed 2026
millage rates.

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Saturday, August 15, 2026 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 3A

LOCAL

PROJECT OAK
From page 1A
deadline to withdraw or modify the
application.
The developers now plan to build the
data center campus on one 255-acre property already zoned for industrial use rather
than rezone the additional parcel from rural
conservation.
Despite dropping nearly 200 acres from
the original proposal, Project Oak would
still include five data center buildings totaling more than 1.8 million square feet and
require 280 megawatts of power, according to an updated development of regional
impact published on the county's website.
The five buildings would total 1,828,368
square feet and be accessed from future
extensions of Amlajack Boulevard and
Coweta Industrial Parkway, according to
the updated DRI.
At the Aug. 25 public hearing, the site's
developers will ask the Coweta County
Board of Commissioners to remove a zoning
condition placed on the 255-acre property
when it was rezoned from rural conservation to industrial in April 2024.
The zoning condition limits the site to
office and warehouse uses with a maximum
of 2,136,778 square feet.
The estimated completion date of the data
center campus is in the first quarter of 2029.
At full buildout, Project Oak is expected to
be valued at $4 billion and is estimated to
provide $40 million in tax revenue, according to the DRI.
The data center's water usage remains at
approximately 28,000 gallons per day and
will require a 0.1-mile extension of water
lines to serve the site.
A half-mile sewer extension from an adjacent tract to the south is also required, the
DRI states.
Project Oak is estimated to use 280
megawatts of power per day.
Project Oak's public hearing
While the developers of Project Oak have
submitted a reduced site plan to the county,
the data center's public advertisements still
include its initial 455-acre rezoning request.
On July 17, Headwaters Site Development, one of the data center's developers,
requested that the northern parcel, which is
zoned rural conservation, be removed from
the rezoning application.
Since then, the commissioners have not
taken action regarding the data center.
County officials said the public notices have
not changed because the developer's request
to alter the rezoning came seven days after
the withdrawal deadline.
In an interview after Tuesday's meeting,
Shields said she would like the paperwork
and public notices to properly reflect the
applicant's intentions for the property.
Via email, Community Development
Director Ben Sewell said county staff were
concerned that amendments to the application after advertising could raise procedural
questions under zoning procedure law.
"For that reason, our position has been
that the (Coweta County Board of Commissioners) may, at its discretion, approve
a lesser request than originally advertised,
consistent with the applicant's July 17 letter, rather than requiring the application to
be readvertised," Sewell said.
Sewell added that commissioners could
rezone the rural parcel from the original
application. However, because the applicant
stated it is no longer requesting approval of
the northern property, "we would expect
the board's consideration to be limited
accordingly."
Once the public hearing for the property is closed and action is taken by the
commissioners, Sewell said future requests
regarding the property would require a new
application.

Inmate dies at Coweta County Jail
BY CLAY NEELY

[email protected]

A n i n m a t e a t t h e C ow e t a
County Jail died Monday morning
after being found unresponsive in
his bed, according to the Coweta
County Sheriff’s Office.
John Franklin Caldwell III, 66,
was found unresponsive by his
cellmate at approximately 6:30
a.m. Aug. 10, according to Cpl.

Jacob Herbert, public information
officer for the sheriff’s office.
Ja il st a f f were notif ied a nd
began rendering aid until paramedics arrived. Caldwell was pronounced dead at the jail.
Herbert said Caldwell had been
receiving treatment from medical
staff for ongoing health issues. No
foul play is suspected at this time.
Caldwell’s next of kin has been
notified by the Coweta County

Coroner’s Office.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been asked to conduct
an independent investigation into
the death.
The sheriff’s office referred further questions about the investigation to the GBI. Caldwell
was arrested on July 8, 2025, by
the Newnan Police Department
on charges of child molestation,
according to booking reports.

First Liberty investors lost at least
$66 million, receiver says
BY CLAY NEELY

[email protected]

Investors in First Liberty Building & Loan and related companies
suffered losses of at least $66 million, according to a new federal
court filing that proposes beginning the process of retur ning
recovered money to investors.
Cour t-appointed receiver S .
Gregory Hays filed a motion Aug.
6 asking the U.S. District Court
for the Northern District of Georgia to approve a claims process for
investors and other creditors of
First Liberty.
According to the f iling, the
receiver and his forensic accountant have identified approximately
20 0 investors who transferred
more than $155 million to First
Liberty and related entities. Investors received approximately $89
million back, leaving losses of at
least $66 million.
The receivership had approximately $3.97 million in cash on
hand as of July 31 after expenses
a s s o c i at e d w it h m a i nt a i n i n g
and preserving assets and other
court-approved administrative
expenses. The receiver continues
to sell assets and pursue additional
money owed to the receivership.
Hays said in the filing that the
amount recovered so far, coupled
with the "dire financial condition of many investors," makes it
appropriate to begin determining
claims.
The proposed process would
establish how much individual
investors and creditors are eligible
to recover. A separate distribution
plan would be submitted to the
court after claims have been determined. Money available for distribution would be placed in what
the receiver calls the First Liberty
Recovery Fund.
The claims process has not yet
been approved by the court.
The Securities and Exchange
Commission sued Edwin Brant
Frost IV and First Liberty Building & Loan in July 2025.
The SEC alleges Frost engaged
i n i nve s tment f r aud th rou g h
First Liberty and related entities,
including misappropriating investor funds or using investor money
to ma ke payments to existing
investors while making short-term
bridge loans. Hays was appointed
receiver when the case was filed.
Calculating investor losses
Under the prop o s e d cl a i m s

NTH FILE PHOTO

Edwin Brant Frost IV, former president of the now-defunct Newnan-based First
Liberty Building & Loan LLC. A court-appointed receiver says First Liberty
investors suffered losses of at least $66 million.

process, investors' losses generally would be calculated using a
"money-in, money-out" method.
The receiver would subtract the
amount an investor received from
First Liberty entities from the
amount the investor transferred
to them. Promised interest, profits
or fees that were never paid would
not be included in the calculation.
T he r e c e ive r h a s r e v ie we d
First Liberty records and bank
records and conducted a forensic
reconstruction of the companies'
accounts to calculate losses.
If the proposal is approved,
known investors generally would
receive a pref illed claim form
showing the receiver's calculation
of their losses, along with a breakdown of deposits and withdrawals.
Investors could accept that
amount or dispute the calculation
and submit documentation supporting a different amount.
Investors also would be required
to report money recovered from
third parties related to their First
Liberty losses, which could reduce
their allowed claim.
Under the proposed schedule,
the receiver would mail claims
packages to known investors and
creditors within 10 days of court
approval. Claims would be due 60
days after the court approves the
process.
How money could be distributed
The amount ultimately available
to investors remains uncertain.
The receiver continues to market
assets for sale and pursue money
from third parties. The filing says
future recoveries from assets and

claims against third parties, insiders and affiliates could be added to
the recovery fund.
A f ter the cla i m s pro ce s s is
completed, Hays proposes using
what is known as the "rising tide"
method to distribute available
money.
The method takes into account
money investors received before
the receivership began. Its goal is
to prevent investors who received
substantial payments before the
r e c eiver sh ip f r om u lt i m at ely
recovering a greater percentage of
their investments than investors
who received less money back.
Under the proposal, distributions would initially favor investors who have recovered a smaller
percentage of their investments.
Additional distributions could be
made as more money is recovered.
The court must first approve the
claims process before claims packages are sent and the 60-day deadline begins.
Criminal case against Frost
In the related criminal case,
Frost pleaded guilty in May to
one count of wire fraud in federal court, admitting he misused
investor funds. His plea agreement
estimated losses of between $65
million and $150 million, and he
agreed to pay full restitution.
Prosecutors have recommended
a 14-year sentence. The charge
carries a maximum sentence of 20
years in prison. Frost is scheduled
to be sentenced Aug. 14 before
U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin
May.

NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE
The Coweta County Board of Commissioners has tentatively adopted a 2026
millage rate which will require an increase in property tax by 6.8 percent.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing on this tax increase to be
held at the Commission Chambers, 37 Perry Street, Newnan, Georgia on
Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at 7:30 a.m.
Times and places of additional public hearings on this tax
increase are at the Commission Chambers, 37 Perry Street, Newnan, Georgia on
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 4.011 mills, an increase
of 0.255 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate would be no
more than 3.756 mills. The proposed tax increase
for a home with a fair market value of $425,000 is approximately $40.80, and
the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value
of $400,000 is approximately $40.80.
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