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County finance seeks restructuring, new systems and reserve support as retiree and PFAS costs rise
Summary
Finance staff asked commissioners to reestablish a deputy-director role, elevate an analyst position, and approve recurring costs for vendor-hosted systems while outlining retiree health cost projections and anticipated PFAS borrowing.
Carol, the county finance presenter, told commissioners the finance department's FY26 submission contains no net new general-fund positions but proposes a modest internal restructuring: reestablishing a deputy director role, elevating a financial assistant to financial analyst and budgeting overlap time for anticipated retirements.
"We'd like to reestablish that deputy director position and fill it with the person that is filling the county accountant's position right now," Carol said, explaining the change is intended to preserve institutional knowledge and provide operational continuity when retirements occur. The department reported an 11-position complement with 10 filled at the time of presentation.
Finance described several technology and recurring-service costs included in the FY26 request: a vendor-hosted ERP option from Tyler Technologies at $59,500 per year; a new grant-management system purchased with one-time ARPA funds that will carry a $15,000 annual cost in year two; and fixed-asset software maintenance and hosting. Carol said the AP-automation work and other automation projects add one-time and recurring costs but will reduce manual processing risk.
On grants, Carol said the finance office currently manages 74 active grants (federal, state and local) and noted that the 15% de minimis indirect cost allowance for federal grants has increased recently, which modestly raises recoverable overhead revenue for the county.
Retiree benefits and long-term debt figured prominently. Finance budgeted a 12% estimate for health-insurance increase and used an actual retiree headcount in its projections: 178 current retirees supported by county retiree health plans, an assumption of 4 new retirees in FY25 and 6 in FY26, and a 75% employer share of active premiums. Carol said the county will know the final Municipal Health Group premium change in February and will update the budget then.
On capital and debt: staff described ongoing borrowing for Aqua Fund septic loans (a current $13,000,000 borrowing in process) and plans to borrow approximately $11,000,000 for PFAS work in the coming year. The administration has established a PFAS stabilization fund and intends to use that fund to help pay debt service on PFAS borrowing. A $680,000 transfer into PFAS O&M was also referenced as part of operating appropriations in the presenters' materials.
Public safety training was cited as an example of a one-time operating increase: the public safety training budget carries a near-term purchase of non-PFAS protective gear estimated at about $47,000 to replace aging equipment.
Ending: Commissioners asked for the formal steps needed to effect organizational changes and staff said job descriptions were submitted to HR and hiring procedures would follow county policy; the administration agreed to provide a written summary of the process to the commissioners.
