Budget staff told Utah County commissioners at an Oct. 2 budget work session that the county 2026 draft already accounts for a 5.2% salary study and about $4.5 million in expendable general-fund money available for supplemental services.

The budget presentation highlighted items already built into the draft: four new attorneys approved at a previous commission meeting, contractual increases verified by departments, information-security requests built into reserves, and an allowance for merit increases and the highest-cost benefit packages for vacant positions. "We built in the 4 new attorneys that got approved last week at commission meeting and a corresponding percentage for a public defender," Budget staff said during the presentation.

Why it matters: the commission must balance maintaining current services, accommodating negotiated contracts, and setting a final cola. Staff said the 5.2% figure comes from outside recommendations and that the county built the higher number into the draft to show a "worst-case" baseline; commissioners discussed lowering that assumed increase to reduce pressure on the general fund.

Key details

- Budget staff said the draft assumes a 5.2% salary/benefits increase for 2026 and that vacant positions are budgeted at the most expensive benefit package the employee could elect.

- Staff also said they had included information-security (ISF) requests and other contract increases the commission previously authorized, and that some line items remain under verification with departments.

- Commissioners discussed alternatives to the full 5.2% assumption. One commissioner summarized the trade-off by saying a temporary freeze or lower percent would materially reduce the pressure on the county general fund: "If you freeze it for 1 year, you crack a $4,000,000 nut," that commissioner said.

What remains unresolved

Staff labeled the draft numbers "tentative." Commissioners asked staff to model lower cola scenarios and to show resulting impacts on the $4.5 million expendable amount and on departments that currently show shortfalls (for example, the health department and the county jail complex). Staff said they would return revised scenarios ahead of the commission final review.

Next steps

Budget staff said they would produce adjusted scenarios (including lower cola assumptions) and that the commission would reconvene later in October to continue the work-session review. The numbers discussed at the Oct. 2 session were tentative and subject to change before final adoption.