Adams County staff present proposed 2026 one‑time budget, CIP priorities and head‑start funding gap

County finance and department staff presented the Board of County Commissioners with the proposed one‑time operating requests, capital improvement plan (CIP) recommendations and major maintenance and replacement plan for fiscal 2026 at a study session on Oct. 31.

Staff identified three categories of one‑time requests: nonrecurring operating items (studies, pilots, scholarships), capital projects (CIP) and major maintenance/replacement. They said these items are eligible for fund balance because they do not create ongoing base budget growth. The presentation included a full list of recommended, “parking lot” and not‑recommended CIP projects along with staff scoring and capital projects committee recommendations.

Staff highlighted a Head Start operating request of $2,294,000 that would address salary and lease cost increases tied to the county’s Head Start operations. Staff broke the $2,294,000 request into components: $225,000 for additional salaries and benefits (reflecting negotiated pay plan increases not fully covered by the Head Start grant) and $69,000 for an annual lease increase; staff said the $69,000 is the annual amount tied to a lease restructuring and estimated (subject to confirmation) to be an annual increase. Budget staff described a planned revenue mix for Head Start that includes the federal Head Start grant and a federal pass‑through from the state; staff reported a projected subsidy or “gap” in 2026 of about $671,000, which staff said was currently planned as $50,000 from the general fund with the remainder from the social services fund, though fund balances and transfers will be monitored.

Other topics covered included parks and open‑space project proposals. Byron (parks staff) furnished detail on park enhancements and small construction projects, noting planned work such as shelter and playground replacements, turf conversions, restroom and bridge repairs, trail concrete repairs and tree replacements. Staff said the county has a high priority for an inclusive playground and a large third shelter at Riverdale Regional Park; a county open‑space grant application had been submitted to leverage local funds and, if awarded by the county’s open‑space grant board, would allow construction in 2026.

Commissioners discussed the county’s 2% for the arts set‑aside in capital projects. Several commissioners said they support the arts program but asked staff to return options on reducing or altering the set‑aside (for example, lowering the percent) to free capital flexibility in a tight budget year; staff said they would provide background on the program and fiscal impacts.

Staff also reviewed capital projects prioritized by the capital projects committee, including top‑ranked projects and a “parking lot” of additional projects that did not make the top 25% but were identified as next in line. Staff noted a technical omission in the proposed budget: the Riverdale Bluffs project was included in the open‑space projects fund in the CIP portal but not migrated into the general fund totals; staff said that, if the board supports it, the item could be added at adoption or addressed via amendment after a follow‑up study session.

Other department requests discussed included fleet replacements and the transfer of asset management responsibilities to central fleet; sheriff’s office facility issues and furniture replacement questions; and ongoing monitoring of public health federal grant awards and adjustments to avoid additional general‑fund requests. Staff repeatedly noted that some projects were recommended as one‑time pilots to be evaluated for possible ongoing funding later. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about specific items and directed staff to return on follow‑up points; no formal votes or budget adoptions were recorded in the session transcript.