Commissioners approve most budget appeals, defer additional EMS hires to next week; CIP PAYGO increases

After the finance briefing, county staff and commissioners reviewed operating and capital appeals submitted after the recommended FY2023 budget.

Jody Quasney, deputy director of finance, summarized the appeals list and the available amounts: “We have total requests of 3,600,000. 2.8 or 2.9 of that is grants,” she said, noting the bulk of appeal dollars were grant‑funded and therefore offsetting. Quasney told commissioners staff had identified roughly $770,000 in additional unspent revenue if all the operational appeals on the list were approved and that, after the agreed adjustments, revenues would exceed expenses by $1,185,037 with a remaining useable fund balance of $397,895 in the package as presented.

What commissioners decided: by consensus the board agreed to move forward with the majority of operating appeals shown in the packet (including staffing and program requests for aging and human services, public works shop materials and vehicle maintenance adjustments, certain IT and risk‑management increases, and stipends related to the newly formed Police Accountability Board). Commissioners also concurred with multiple CIP adjustments that increased county PAYGO by about $3.5 million to fund project timing and scope changes in the capital improvement plan.

Public‑safety staffing left unresolved: emergency services asked for additional EMTs and paramedics; the department’s original request included more than a dozen new positions. Commissioners did not approve the full EMS staffing request at this meeting and asked Emergency Services Director Michael Walker (and staff) to return next week with a refined proposal that fits within the remaining available dollars. Finance staff said the combined cost for the full package of requested EMS positions would total about $1.13 million; if the board chose to add a subset of those positions, the remaining gap would be small.

CIP and project highlights: commissioners approved changes to several CIP projects’ funding profiles. Staff said the county added PAYGO funding to cover shortfalls and scheduling changes for projects that include roadway and safety improvements, neighborhood drainage and sidewalk programs, certain airport work, and the county museum renovation. The museum project’s most recent design‑phase estimate increased from earlier figures; staff described the increase as the product of longer program timelines, higher exhibit design costs and inflationary construction escalation.

Ending: staff will return to finalize EMS staffing requests at the next budget work session and will continue to pursue grant funding for selected CIP projects. Commissioners emphasized prioritizing nonrecurring uses of the new revenue and avoiding recurring commitments that could pressure future budgets.