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Sheridan County commissioners direct draft hiring‑freeze resolution as budget shortfall remains
Summary
Facing a roughly $160,000 shortfall in the draft 2025–26 budget, commissioners instructed the county attorney to draft a hiring‑freeze resolution effective immediately with case‑by‑case exceptions and set a target timeline to balance the budget by early July.
Sheridan County commissioners told staff on June 9 to prepare a hiring‑freeze resolution as they work to close an estimated $160,000 gap in the draft 2025–26 general fund budget.
Deputy County Attorney Clint Beaver was asked to draft a resolution for commissioners’ consideration that would make a hiring freeze effective immediately and allow department heads to request exceptions before the board. "I’d be happy to help draft the resolution," Beaver said during the meeting, and commissioners discussed a proposed one‑year sunset with the option to revisit earlier.
Why it matters: the county must present a balanced budget to the public and complete internal publishing requirements; staff warned that the budget must be brought to zero by no later than July 7 to meet statutory and publishing deadlines.
Commissioners described the hiring freeze as a tool to achieve savings via attrition rather than across‑the‑board layoffs. They listed current and anticipated vacancies across county operations — including the airport, assessor, clerk and recorder, sheriff’s office, roads, public health and extension — and said the freeze would be applied to departments and elected offices under the commissioners’ purview while leaving board‑governed entities (airport authority, fairgrounds, library boards) to manage their own staffing.
County budget officer Edith Shunk Thompson told the board revenues remain a moving target while staff await final insurer (EyeMed, Lincoln Life) cost figures and railroad numbers from the assessor’s office. "We hope to have the revenues set for you a week from today," she said, and staff reiterated the need to finalize reductions or other balancing measures before July.
Discussion vs. direction vs. decision: commissioners did not adopt a formal resolution at the June 9 meeting. Instead they provided direction to the county attorney to draft a hiring‑freeze resolution with defined exceptions; they also agreed the freeze should be effective immediately and recommended a one‑year review period but left precise language to the resolution draft.
Ending: County staff will return draft language to the board for vote at a later meeting; commissioners were also advised that if the hiring‑freeze savings prove insufficient they may need to use cash reserves or make further cuts before the July deadline.
