[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6537027,"mediaKeyId","3640345-55dc6b96ead77256c91796332cbd6617","parentId",3640345,"title","At a glance: budget committee appointments and minutes deferred","audioSeconds",386,"startMs",27000,"endMs",413000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3640345-55dc6b96ead77256c91796332cbd6617&start=27&end=413","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3640345-55dc6b96ead77256c91796332cbd6617/thumbnail_27000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6537027/Morrow-County/Oregon/At-a-glance-budget-committee-appointments-and-minutes-deferred","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6537027-58fb41699c72f1fff580b5542d7a290a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773129714&Signature=NG6A-Q6k-l77oSUOepQSVHb5eNF0paDAUTLmui9~NxKikAaZyYwIZ8pH2jZetVw~9w4k0ijblAbIb60Evcg-jjeblsfDZc17R3OhKx1Szc6XpUW4slHLcn-i1I-av2fo8Cwpl1~Li3DwwQbeap39oYW7vGHna4Ku6k8v~ta6L53ZHBP5qGHI3Scza-AuNEIkedpPRqbu3NjqS-USmwaCmUemhV5cNYktIw2LOQ8lz~-FAXnYvdaDX5E3-oO9EdIg9BX6kIZaEOpuC0V1e~kvoWcR6JVv1SPeDluImSNMMYDaw82i0aPYGOA7YxxiHQli6ojgORGDoYc3iunclGzUpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Morrow County, OR","date","2025-06-02T16:47:44Z","article","The Morrow County budget committee recorded two formal actions during its FY26 budget review session on Monday.

Nomination of chair: A committee member nominated Karen Pettigrew to serve as budget committee chair; another member seconded the nomination and the committee voice vote was in favor. The committee proceeded with Pettigrew as presiding officer.

Deferral of minutes: Committee members moved and seconded a motion \"to defer approving the 2023-24 budget committee minutes until tomorrow morning.\" The motion passed on a voice vote; staff will circulate printed copies and bring the minutes back for approval at the next scheduled session.

No roll-call tallies or individual recorded votes were provided on the public audio transcript for either action. The committee continues deliberations on the FY26 proposed budget.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Morrow County Board of Commissioners Budget Meeting: May 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Morrow County budget committee nominated and approved its chair and voted to defer approval of prior-year minutes for additional review.","taxTitle","Morrow County, Oregon","taxId",73539,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6537032,"SIP funds and grants top Morrow County budget discussion as community groups seek recurring support",239,4841000,5080000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3640345-55dc6b96ead77256c91796332cbd6617&start=4841&end=5080","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3640345-55dc6b96ead77256c91796332cbd6617/thumbnail_4841000.jpg","/articles/6537032/Morrow-County/Oregon/SIP-funds-and-grants-top-Morrow-County-budget-discussion-as-community-groups-seek-recurring-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6537032-594cb5b03bc79a5d209f2d2e7cc96852/orig.mp4?Expires=1773129714&Signature=c-1JTC0UNgEtngT6OPofP0re0qRTpWGkcRgWUEgbZntM~mSmQi1eGtyIE3Wk6kVTHVhUrFW5W5twBEtX96kB8qb3zNpKVk2mCTs-iDQYZlAOzVa4fXio1OH~aGIy3YeCYS2ipKOG8rAvth1Suy5g7~-1JoBXXbTkS03vs3xwSgoZiPems11y6Lm2yFp0DdtnkfMslmO8KbHh8yoLufvvIEorcvGdvZibT~48vPZeqB2FCCrjWs0G1iNp83uUvlVNv~JdFpu99yS1SBEhKk7RNLjSi1HRfFPGwYYgB1gQzkfDuIx31Gq-BV34LQGiVwP0me2bJ3h0rhU834KHLfS4sQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Morrow County staff presented detailed allocations for Strategic Investment Program (SIP) revenues during the budget review, and community groups used a public-comment slot to ask the budget committee for recurring and one-time funding.

Kevin Nims, Morrow County director and budget officer, told the committee the FY26 proposal anticipates total SIP-related revenues of about $8.8 million. Of that amount, approximately $2.6 million is contractually distributed to districts and municipalities and about $6.1 million would be retained by the county under existing agreements. Nims said the county typically allocates retained SIP money to a mix of operating and capital uses and listed FY26 allocations that include $1.8 million to the general fund, $1.8 million to the capital improvement program (CIP) and annual commitments to school districts and local projects such as the Columbia River Heritage Trail.

Why it matters: SIP revenues are a sizable discretionary resource in the county budget and staff said they can be used for capital projects, one-time investments and some operating support but cautioned against relying on them for core ongoing expenses.

Nims described how the county has used SIP funds: a portion supports ongoing program costs where appropriate, but most retained dollars have been assigned to capital reserves and project funding (heritage trail, courthouse, IT capital reserve and fair improvements). He said a common practice has been to set aside $600,000 annually toward a Heritage Trail reserve until a $2 million match target was reached; the FY26 proposal will reach that $2 million reserve and staff said the annual allocation would stop unless the board directs otherwise.

Community requests: multiple community nonprofit and service organizations appeared to request continued or increased county support during the meeting. Jared (identified as chairman of South Morrow County Seniors Matter) thanked the county for a $40,000 allocation that supports senior lunches, classes and volunteer coordination and described the program's reach into the county's older-adult population. Rosa Martinez and Rick Leeson described the food pantry network and senior center needs; both asked the committee to maintain funding amid rising costs and reduced other revenue sources. Kim (representing Willow Creek Valley Economic Development) described WICVED's work on housing and small-business support and noted county support helps leverage grants.

Wheat Ridge East / fire district request: representatives from Wheat Ridge East and adjacent stakeholders asked for $80,000 in annual funding to support fire department apparatus and services tied to new industrial development in the district. County Assessor Mike explained that recent SIP and construction activity affects assessed values and distribution timing; officials and committee members noted the step-up in SIP-related payments for that project will not be realized until the site enters production and tax payments are billed, likely in the next budget cycle. Nims recommended considering recurring new allocations only after the county's structural budget imbalance is addressed and after the SIP revenue inflows are realized.

Staff recommendation: Nims said the county's historical approach has been to retain SIP additional monies for capital priorities and one-time uses (for example, $1 million annual payments to school districts and targeted capital reserves). He urged the committee to avoid using SIP revenue to fund ongoing overhead without a contractual or guaranteed revenue stream. \"That money is discretionary and should be used for projects and reserves rather than ongoing core personnel and daily operations,\" he said.

Next steps: the committee did not adopt new recurring awards during the meeting. Members asked staff to consider a formal process for future community funding requests that would define priorities, application timing and evaluation criteria so awards are transparent and aligned with county strategic priorities.

","County staff outlined $8.8 million in SIP-related revenues retained by the county and $6.1 million budgeted for county uses; community groups asked for recurring and one-time support but county leaders urged caution until the structural budget deficit is addressed.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6537038,"Morrow County budget officers warn of $1.6 million structural shortfall in proposed FY26 budget",1014,106000,1120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3640345-55dc6b96ead77256c91796332cbd6617&start=106&end=1120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3640345-55dc6b96ead77256c91796332cbd6617/thumbnail_106000.jpg","/articles/6537038/Morrow-County/Oregon/Morrow-County-budget-officers-warn-of-16-million-structural-shortfall-in-proposed-FY26-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6537038-fa8dd1067c4a3282fc09414a4cd3bb50/orig.mp4?Expires=1773129714&Signature=DhJ1Wcj9YbGj3aCbonD4yNiShN8ypl6nwap7D1AS~oEsMwOUUCKssEINIeFJxtmGbrqTZDNxADiyNchEUMhP7zd7qcI-a4VVLchK4HkFsDgc7moaTqnfJyr2N7VwGDKQcmeUveCTJkf4HrL2m9JtLgPfnyJ-AxxKx-jfEpsFRClFGgp35AV443nO4CzssGBQXlBFNd6LgDIQ~SBSXOAsmUCZrKYM0PoOj16UdKDrg6i~9icgI1gEI8YzhLXe8Fn7GTeJIjYfsyz36~5GpP73iNgyLzGBfpuv2eWuhwtuEEHr9Iv~8Aokyud4g8AaWhi2sWVTwP3m2Q1c76X0tXfRhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Morrow County budget director Kevin Nims on Monday presented the county's proposed fiscal year 2025-26 budget and said while the overall document is balanced, the county faces an estimated $1.6 million structural deficit when one-time and nonrecurring resources are excluded.

The budget message, read by Nims on behalf of County Administrator Matthew Johnson and himself, described the proposed book as \"a clear statement of our commitment to transparency, responsible financial stewardship, and long term fiscal sustainability.\" Nims said the proposal removes nonrecurring items such as ARPA funds, beginning fund balances and capital proceeds when measuring structural balance.

Why it matters: a structurally balanced budget means recurring costs are matched with recurring revenue. Nims told the committee that, after those exclusions, the general fund shows a net structural deficit of approximately $1.6 million for FY26 and urged measured changes over the next budget cycle rather than abrupt across-the-board cuts.

Nims listed several drivers behind the imbalance. Department-level contingency practices, where departments include separate contingency amounts on top of a general fund contingency, have created what he described as a \"contingency on top of contingency\" that inflates appropriations. He cited fiscal year numbers in committee discussion: general fund materials and services of about $5.6 million and personnel expenditures of roughly $9.7 million in a prior year, with FY25 year-to-date actuals showing materials and services near $7.6 million and personnel at about $13.4 million. Nims said these patterns likely allow about $1.5 million to be reduced from departmental budgets without cutting services.

The budget document includes a continuing $1 million supplemental contribution toward the county's pension unfunded liability, a practice Nims said began with surplus resources and that the county plans to continue while it works on structural fixes. Nims also reiterated his conservative revenue assumptions: for example, he excluded an anticipated $200,000 in unspecified future Kres allocations from the FY26 baseline because the revenue was not guaranteed.

Capital and reserves: the proposed budget sets aside substantial reserves for long-range capital needs. The capital improvement plan funds several projects, including design and multi-year financing for a Circuit Court building. Nims used a working project cost of $35 million for the courthouse build and said available cash and reserves, together with projected state support, position the county to cover the project if costs do not exceed that estimate.

Pension and staffing changes: the budget incorporates a countywide cost-of-living allowance of 3 percent and several modest staffing changes approved in the classification process: a 1.0 FTE conversion in weed control, a 0.8 FTE human resources assistant and one facilities maintenance position plus a 1.0 FTE legal assistant in the district attorney's office (total net FTE increase about 2.33). Nims described an operational decision to move many employees from a 401(a)-style plan into PERS-equivalent coverage for retention; the FY26 budget assumes an 11 percent employer contribution rate for those employees.

ERP and IT: the county is midstream on an enterprise resource planning replacement. Nims told the committee the originally selected vendor contract was terminated during implementation; the county plans to engage another vendor and now expects a new go-live target of July 2026. The FY26 proposal includes remaining project funding and an ongoing commitment to modernize grant accounting and human resources systems.

Next steps: the budget committee will review department budgets over the meeting series. Nims said the goal is to make targeted adjustments for FY27 to eliminate the structural shortfall rather than impose blunt percentage cuts this year. \"We're confident we can address the $1.5 million in excess departmental amounts without impacting services,\" he told the committee.

Ending: Nims asked the committee to treat the time ahead as an opportunity to prioritize and asked members to flag specific line items for further review; the committee deferred approval of prior-year minutes for later consideration to allow members time to review circulation copies.

","County budget director Kevin Nims presented a balanced FY26 budget package but said a structural deficit of about $1.6 million remains after excluding one‑time resources; officials propose targeted departmental adjustments, continued pension payments and a multi‑year plan for capital projects including the Circuit Court building.","actionData","errors"]

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At a glance: budget committee appointments and minutes deferred

SIP funds and grants top Morrow County budget discussion as community groups seek recurring support

Morrow County budget officers warn of $1.6 million structural shortfall in proposed FY26 budget