Dawson finance director resigns as city reworks troubled FY ’27 financial plan

DAWSON — Dawson Finance Director Dawn Williford resigned from her position Friday as city officials work to revise the financial report presented to the City Council earlier this month and prepare a final Fiscal Year 2027 budget for public review.

A high-ranking city official confirmed Williford’s resignation Friday. Additional details about the circumstances of her departure were not immediately available.

City Manager Roxie Powell also confirmed Friday that changes will be made to the financial report presented to council at its Aug. 13 meeting.

Powell said the city anticipates having a final proposed budget ready for public review after the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting. She said she also plans to ask the council to extend the city’s budget public hearing until Sept. 24.

The developments come one day after The Dawson News reported that the financial report presented to council showed revenues and expenditures balancing at approximately $6.18 million but included a $300,000 transfer from the city’s utility funds that was not reflected as an expense within those funds.

The report showed the utility funds generating a combined surplus of approximately $291,000 even after the $300,000 transfer was counted as general fund revenue, effectively leaving the financial plan about $300,000 out of balance when the transfer is accounted for on both sides of the city’s finances.

The documents also did not identify how the city planned to address as much as $350,000 in short-term borrowing already authorized this year or approximately $4.4 million in Georgia Environmental Finance Authority loans associated with the city’s wastewater treatment project.

The city entered the new fiscal year without an adopted budget. Council previously approved temporary spending authority acknowledging that a final budget would not be adopted before the beginning of the fiscal year.

No final proposed budget has yet been presented to the public for review.

Williford’s departure and the planned revisions to the financial report come as city officials work to complete that process ahead of the anticipated Sept. 24 public hearing.

This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.