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Dona Ana County commissioners back exploring two-year budget cycle; staff to return plan
Summary
At an Aug. 5 work session, county budget staff and commissioners discussed shifting to a biennial budget to improve long-term planning and reduce workload; staff will draft a resolution and return with details, timing and training needs.
Dona Ana County commissioners discussed moving from an annual to a two-year budget cycle during their Aug. 5 work session, with budget officials saying a biennial process would improve long-range planning and free staff time for oversight and training. Lucio Luttrell, budget office analyst supervisor, outlined advantages and disadvantages of a two-year cycle and urged the board to consider timing tied to elections. “The budget is a living document,” Luttrell said, noting that departments would still come to the board to adjust spending as needs arise. Commissioners expressed broad support for the idea during discussion. Commissioner Christian Gamedos said he favored longer planning horizons tied to the county strategic plan and noted elected officials joining mid-cycle would need onboarding and flexibility. County Manager Andrews and Luttrell warned that the first year of a two‑year cycle requires more upfront work and emphasized continued reporting obligations to the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), including the June 30 fiscal-year cutoff for spending and quarterly reports. The board and staff agreed to prepare a formal resolution to adopt a two‑year cycle and to aim to present that resolution before the next budget process; commissioners suggested bringing the resolution to a September meeting. Staff also flagged training and departmental capacity as requirements for a successful change. Why it matters: A shift to a two‑year budget would change how the county plans multi‑year programs, allocates staff time for analytics and training and manages mid‑cycle adjustments. Commissioners asked staff to return with a timeline and an adoption resolution to allow consideration before the fall budget development cycle. Next steps: Budget staff will draft a resolution and guidance for departments and coordinate with county management on timing; commissioners directed staff to return with the resolution and implementation details at an upcoming meeting.
