Community development officials told commissioners Oct. 14 they had limited new requests for 2026 but asked for two targeted items: funds for an appeal-authority contract and money for overlap when the office's billing official retires.

Bryce, representing Community Development, said the department has "very limited" asks this year and identified a top priority to pay for an outside administrative-law judge/appeal authority. The department has transitioned its Board of Adjustment to an appeal-authority model and expects two meetings per year that will require stipends and mileage for an outside adjudicator.

Community Development also requested a short-term overlap (two pay periods) to onboard and train a successor when the billing official retires next year. Staff told commissioners the overlap is cost-efficient compared with contracting the billing function and that HR had provided estimated payroll numbers for the temporary overlap.

Bryce said the department had some funds in its existing budget for board member stipends and mileage but that the new appeal-authority costs would exceed those reserves. The transition in the billing official position is planned for the end of next year; commissioners and staff discussed whether salary savings this year could be used to cover the overlap if needed, and staff said they would re-check staffing funds and return with a precise recharge amount.

Commissioners signaled general willingness to consider the billing-official overlap if salary savings materialize and asked staff to verify whether unused salary dollars could cover the near-term overlap and the appeal-authority cost when budgeting for 2026.