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County manager presents preliminary 2026 budget; commissioners weigh health-insurance and pay adjustments
Summary
San Miguel County staff presented a preliminary 2026 budget that forecasts a modest general-fund surplus but shows deficits in several restricted funds; commissioners asked staff to model options to absorb rising health-insurance costs for employees and to phase implementation of a compensation study.
San Miguel County managers presented a preliminary 2026 budget to the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 15, showing a projected general-fund surplus of about $745,000 under conservative revenue assumptions but projected deficits across several restricted funds once pay and insurance increases are modeled.
Finance staff said the budget assumes the countywide 5.25% property-revenue cap for most funds (the housing fund was excluded by prior action). Ramona (county finance) and Jared (county administration) said vacancy savings have declined from roughly $1.4 million in 2024 to an expected $800,000 for 2025 as staffing fills, and noted capital items and debt service appearing in next year’s requests.
Administrators told the board the draft includes a proposed implementation of a compensation and classification study with a capped cost (roughly $170,000 in fully phased increases) plus a projected increase in the county’s employer share of health insurance of roughly 17% (~$92,000 employer share under current split). Commissioners requested that staff model alternatives: (a) preserve the current employee/employer split and pass the full premium increase to employees; (b) absorb a portion of the increase for employees to maintain a roughly 80/20 split; or (c) absorb all of the increase to preserve elected officials’ take-home pay.
Staff also outlined larger fund results: road and bridge shows a projected operating deficit near $1.1 million on paper because of planned capital and pass-throughs to municipalities; housing and grant funds remain healthy but show more constrained grant pipelines. Commissioners asked department-level follow-up and scheduled a focused budget work session for Oct. 29 (or soon after) to review specific offices including the sheriff’s office and parks and open space.
Staff and commissioners emphasized that some outcomes depend on the Nov. 4 ballot measures; staff said any new voter-approved levies would be incorporated into the county budget in November.
