Grand County reviews proposed 2026 budget; commissioners flag EMS Station financing, human services uncertainty and department requests

Grand County commissioners and county staff on Wednesday examined the county’s proposed 2026 budget and departmental requests, with staff saying total revenues were about $97 million and total expenses about $115 million — a gap of roughly $17 million largely tied to the timing of $25 million in certificate of participation (COP) proceeds for EMS Station 1.

County finance staff said the COP proceeds are being spent across 2025 and 2026; roughly half of the $25 million is expected to be used in each year, which creates a large, timing-driven shortfall in the proposed 2026 numbers. Staff said routine adjustments and transfers are normally added when the board adopts the final budget and resolutions in December.

Why it matters: Commissioners will consider final resolutions in December; the COP timing and how capital transfers are shown in the preliminary packet affect the appearance of a large deficit but do not by themselves change the underlying projects.

Key budget items and department requests

Building and planning: county staff asked the board to approve modest increases in professional-services lines to support CloudPermit, the county’s new online permitting platform, and to add a roughly $520 annual connector so Bluebeam plan-measurement files can save directly…