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County preliminary 2026 budget updated; ambulance fund flagged as unsustainable
Summary
Staff presented revised preliminary budget figures, increasing the sales-tax projection slightly and adjusting shared-revenue estimates. The county reduced the amount of general‑fund balance needed to balance the 2026 preliminary budget but officials warned that the ambulance fund remains structurally strained and not sustainable without changes.
County finance staff presented an updated preliminary 2026 budget to the Executive Finance Standing Committee and said a combination of modest revenue adjustments and expense changes reduced the amount of general‑fund balance needed — but the ambulance fund remains at risk.
Key figures: staff increased the sales‑tax estimate from $1,550,000 to $1,600,000 based on current trends and an outside projection, and adjusted shared revenues upward by roughly $40,000 after receiving more current estimates. As a result of a variety of updates, staff said they reduced the general‑fund balance applied to the preliminary budget from $303,026.27 to $245,292.86.
Ambulance fund concern: staff and committee members reiterated that the ambulance fund budget currently shows a zero‑balance projection that is not sustainable without either increased revenue, service changes or the creation of a dedicated service district. “That 0T lobby is not sustainable and it's not all we're getting very close to that,” one staff member said during the meeting, echoing earlier committee comments that the service is not a county‑mandated essential and the current model may require levy or other structural changes.
Levy worksheet and timing: staff said the county used the most recent levy‑limit worksheet when preparing the preliminary budget and that allowable operational levy calculations were slightly weaker than expected, which reduced the county’s allowable operational levy for the upcoming year. Finance staff said final numbers for sales tax and shared revenue will be confirmed in November and that the full county board will vote on the budget at its October meeting (date noted by staff).
Action: the committee voted to forward the preliminary budget to the full county board for approval. The motion to move the proposal was made and approved by voice vote.
Next steps: staff will continue refining final estimates and present the proposed budget to the full board. Committee members asked staff to be ready to discuss levy composition (operational vs. debt service) and to break out levy components in presentations to help public understanding.
