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Finance staff presents 2026 preliminary budget; proposed levy rises by about $510,000
Summary
County finance staff presented three new attachments showing levy and fund-level detail for the 2026 preliminary budget; the packet shows a proposed levy increase from $10,341,005 to $10,851,250 and lists line-item workbooks, fund distributions and assumptions.
Committee members reviewed the 2026 preliminary budget presentation and three new attachments county finance staff added to the packet: (1) a draft levy by department, (2) a distribution by fund, and (3) a detailed budget workbook. Finance staff said the documents are the working materials used to compile the levy and will be updated as state shared-revenue numbers and the levy limit worksheet are finalized.
Derek, the staff presenter, walked supervisors through the attachments and highlighted that the packet shows a proposed levy of $10,851,250, up from last year’s $10,341,005 — roughly a $510,000 increase. Attachment A breaks the levy down by department and shows per-department changes; attachment B distributes revenues and expenditures by fund; attachment C is the line-by-line workbook finance staff use for reconciliation and for uploading into the Tyler financial system.
Staff said assumptions in the current draft include no cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) but a one-step upward movement on the wage scale (a commitment from last year’s wage study). The packet also includes funding for a radio tower technician position and operations funding for that role, cybersecurity enhancements and some departmental restructuring. Shared state transportation revenue and the highway budget were also reviewed; staff reminded the committee that final state numbers may alter totals.
Supervisors asked clarifying questions: one asked whether intergovernmental revenue includes state-shared road dollars (staff said yes, and indicated roughly $2 million in that revenue line was included). Another asked about projections for county sales tax; staff said projections are based on conservative historical data and not a state formula. Members were asked to provide feedback to finance staff by the next Tuesday so departments can be consulted before the October and November meetings and the formal budget hearing scheduled for Oct. 20.
Committee members commended the clearer organization in the new packet and directed staff to continue refining the workbook and prepare the materials for the county board budget hearing.
