Budget and fiscal staff provided the Board a first preliminary review of the 2026–27 biennial budget on Oct. 15, noting a structural general-fund deficit and summarizing department operating and capital requests submitted during the development process.

Key numbers and process: Staff said departments submitted approximately 240 requests, including 208 operating requests and 34 capital requests across all funds; total biennial operating requests were about $213 million, of which roughly $107.5 million were general-fund add‑on requests across the biennium. Staff also reported a prior board direction to limit new additions to requests that are revenue-backed or otherwise consistent with prior board decisions; staff provided a recommended list of items to fund from non-general-fund sources and identified a set of technical errata and placeholders that will be finalized with HR and departments.

Board action on COLAs: After discussion and public considerations about impacts to court operations, the board voted to suspend 2026–27 cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLAs) for all nonrepresented employees (across all funds) for the 2026–27 cycle. The board directed that the general‑fund portion of the savings be distributed as follows: $300,000 to juvenile court, $300,000 to superior court and $100,000 to the clerk’s office. The board also directed the county manager to return with additional detail on the non‑general‑fund savings that would result from the suspension and options for how those savings could be applied; staff said they would follow up within approximately two weeks. The motion passed 4–1.

Context and next steps: Commissioners asked for clearer annotations tying budget recommendations to prior board decisions and requested that staff prepare a notes page summarizing which board directions and assumptions were reflected in the recommended funding list. Staff said final errata and HR‑driven salary calculations would be provided as soon as available and that staff would return next week for further direction on the budget package ahead of statutory adoption timelines.

Ending: The board directed staff to continue work on the budget calendar and return with updated technical corrections and the requested breakdowns so the board can confirm final adoption decisions later in the year.