County staff presenting the Gallatin County rest home budget summarized a $1,106,523 request that mixes operating increases and one‑time capital projects intended to stabilize the facility as the county completes a multi‑year deferred‑maintenance program.

The request includes an operating increase in direct‑care nursing to cover professional services and staffing pressures; administrators said this increase replaces part of a larger cut made at startup to reduce reliance on contract nursing. The rest home is working to pay back prior general‑fund support and county staff said they expect to finish repayment next fiscal year if revenue and census stabilize.

Capital requests included air‑conditioning for hallways and the dining room to better manage summer heat, replacement washers and dryers long past their expected lives, completion of window replacement (20 remaining windows on the rehab side), a replacement boiler communication system so staff receive proactive alerts, kitchen generator power upgrades to maintain refrigerator/freezer capacity during outages, and replacement steam tables and plate warmers. Administrators also requested a bladder scanner the nursing staff said could reduce emergency room transports.

County staff said current capital reserves for the rest home are low — roughly $12,000 before the requested additions — and that approving the capital requests would increase the facility’s reserve toward $500,000, about 44% of the facility’s annual operating budget. Commissioners discussed balancing reserve levels with the goal of reducing mill levies once the facility’s debt is repaid; commissioners supported the capital program and urged staff to continue work to reduce the mill rate in future budgets once obligations are cleared.

The board approved the full slate of rest‑home operating and one‑time capital requests and directed staff to continue planning for debt reduction and potential mill reductions in FY27.