Finance committee delays some FY26 budget increases after debate over pay parity and reserve risks

Stevens County’s finance committee on Sept. 11 approved a number of department budget requests for fiscal 2026 but held or sent several contentious items back for further review after extended debate over salary increases and reserves.

Committee members reviewed budget sheets the finance director and chair had highlighted as ready for action. Staff reported the general fund currently shows a deficit of about $110,000 and cautioned that health insurance and an outstanding nursing-home liability remain major uncertainties for the FY26 budget.

One significant point of debate involved the state’s attorney’s office. Committee members discussed a proposed increase for assistant state’s attorneys that would total about 7.5% for the position line, compared with a 4% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) the county applied broadly. A motion to adopt the larger increase failed for lack of a second. Committee members discussed a compromise — giving part of the increase now and the rest next year — but ultimately laid the full set of contested items over to a future meeting. A committee member said, “Once you go up, it’s much harder to go back out,” noting concerns about long-term sustainability and union comparators.

After extended discussion the committee voted to delay action on disputed items and proceed with approving the packets that had previously cleared committee review. The chair announced the motion: “Delay over till next month,” and recorded the vote; the meeting record shows at least one member opposed to the delay.

Committee members stressed the need to finish more detailed budget work in October before the board’s November meetings and noted that negotiated union increases and statutory parity provisions (for example, public defender funding differences) complicate comparisons. Staff also reminded the committee that some funds are “statutorily dictated,” such as probation service fees, limiting how those revenues can be used.

The finance committee approved several department budgets that had been highlighted as ready to move, including election expenses, county clerk and recorder, treasurer and various smaller funds. The committee sent a few items back to committee level for more explanation, for example a request from law library or legal research subscriptions where members asked staff to provide more detail on the apparent increases.

Members directed staff to return with updated worksheets and more concrete numbers next month so the committee can decide final FY26 recommendations for the county board.