Treasurer presents modest FY26 budget; highlights tax-sale automation fund and rising postage costs

Treasurer Gwen (first name given in meeting) presented the treasurer's FY2026 revenue and expense budget to the Finance Committee on Aug. 12, 2025, describing it as a modest request and emphasizing automation and a lean operation that did not require additional headcount. The treasurer said the overall treasurer office budget request is roughly $1,005,000 and that revenue will be higher in FY2026 in part because a previously expected statutory reduction in penalty rates did not occur. She told the committee the office will absorb routine cost-of-living increases and continue automating collections. The treasurer highlighted two funds the office manages: the tax-sale automation fund and the sale-and-error interest fund. The tax-sale automation fund receives a $10 fee from each tax parcel sold; its revenues and investment income fluctuate with the number of parcels sold. The treasurer said the fund currently anticipates about $28,800 of investment income but that exact receipts are unpredictable. On the sale-and-error fund, the treasurer said the county may maintain up to $500,000 in the fund; amounts above that must be transferred into the general fund. She estimated roughly $120,000 is typically transferred in a year when the fund balance exceeds the cap. The treasurer also told the committee she expects postage costs to increase next year by about $35,000 because of recent postal rate changes and that certified-mail costs rose about 9.2 percent in July. She encouraged electronic billing sign-up to reduce postage expense. Why it matters: the treasurer manages cash collection and distribution; the tax-sale automation and sale-and-error funds are directly tied to tax-collection processes and can affect county cash flow and the general fund when transfers are required. Next steps: the treasurer and her staff will continue work on a proposed tax-sale automation software procurement and plan to move a budgeted $80,000 software item to the tax automation fund for FY2026 pending procurement results. Treasurer staff also will provide additional detail on investments and the line-item makeup when requested by board members.