Treasurer Al told the Washington County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 11 that a $1.2 million appropriation used to balance the 2025 County Road budget includes about $900,000 that was actually unspent and therefore rolled over — a development that could create a larger funding need during 2026.

The treasurer said the $900,000 rollover was not obvious when the 2025 budget was approved and that County Road Superintendent Brian Campbell (referred to in the meeting) may now face the need to increase the general‑fund contribution to County Road to restore a balanced position.

Why it matters: County Road operations already face known pressures such as higher salt prices and negotiated personnel increases. The treasurer estimated that Campbell might have to find roughly $2 million in additions — the $1.2 million rollback plus cost increases — to balance the next budget cycle if revenues and costs remain as projected.

The treasurer emphasized the line on the financial statement labeled “assigned unappropriated” as the key measure of the fund’s available savings. He cautioned supervisors not to read the total fund equity line as an accurate measure of available cash because encumbrances and appropriations can make that number misleading.

Other machinery‑fund specifics: the treasurer noted the County Road Machinery Fund showed higher cash because of encumbrances for trucks on order (about $2,594,000), meaning the apparent cash is already committed. He described recent rate changes meant to make the machinery and carpool funds more sustainable but warned that the County Road Fund ultimately draws on general‑fund support, and that right‑sizing and a capital plan remain necessary.

No formal vote was held. The treasurer said the board will need to consider these issues during the 2026 budget process and may be asked to adjust general‑fund transfers or the tax cap approach to address the projected shortfall.