Boone County adopts 2026 budget, approves 3% raises and cuts courthouse contingency to $100,000

Boone County Commissioners voted to adopt their proposed 2026 budget on the final motion of a budget workshop, approving a 3% cost‑of‑living increase for county employees (with a mandatory minimum of 2.5% and discretionary top‑ups not to exceed 5%), a one‑time payout tied to revised PTO caps and a longevity payout for long‑tenured employees. The commissioners also adopted the solid waste budget after a public hearing and reduced an earlier $500,000 courthouse contingency to $100,000 while directing staff to obtain estimates and security planning before further spending.

The actions come after several hours of discussion about personnel lines, courthouse safety upgrades, engineering and design money for the KeyBank renovation, and other capital and operating items. County staff said the county’s net assessed values remain under review and that the advertised levy/rates were set to preserve planned fund revenues regardless of final state property valuation changes.

Why it matters: the package increases near‑term payroll costs and authorizes one‑time payments while holding overall advertised levy levels steady; it also sets aside funds for courthouse repairs and security planning but limits immediate spending pending firm estimates and council approval.

What the commissioners decided

- Employee compensation: Commissioners approved a 3% salary increase for county employees, with a mandatory 2.5% minimum for any eligible employee and the remainder available as discretionary increases up to a 5% cap per employee. The motion also preserved the large majority of the previously discussed position adjustments that were intended to move certain roles toward midpoint market pay.

- HSA and benefits: The commission voted to keep the current Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution levels "as they are" rather than adopting a staff proposal to raise the single (employee only) HSA. County staff had noted prior numbers of $1,200 for employee only and $2,400 for employee+1; the commission kept those existing levels.

- PTO payout and longevity: Commissioners approved a one‑time PTO payout to reduce existing excessive PTO banks to new caps (proposed caps were 210 hours for 35‑hour employees and 240…