The Carroll County Delegation on Monday approved a package of budget adjustments and capital projects that included a $67,262 carpet replacement for county facilities, a $691,510 paving project for the county complex and grounds, and a $1,937,932 laundry addition at Mountain View Community tied to a Gopher revolving-loan reimbursement request.

The measures were presented during a review of second-quarter budget numbers and were approved by the delegation after discussion about bids, contractor participation and project timing. The delegation also voted to use fund balance and ARPA-related proceeds as part of the financing package and approved a revised capital expenditures bottom line.

Why it matters: the projects address building and safety needs at the county complex and the county nursing home, shift capital costs into the county budget for fiscal reporting, and seek reimbursement from a state revolving-loan program (referred to in the meeting as "Gopher"). Delegates emphasized the need for better cost-estimating and bid processes before approving large capital projects in the future.

Most important facts

- Carpet replacement: Delegates approved $67,262 to replace worn and damaged carpet in the county attorney's offices, sheriff's department and other county spaces. Administrator Martin, speaking for affected departments, said the carpet is “long overdue for replacement.”

- Complex paving: The delegation approved $691,510 to repave most of the county complex, including sidewalks, campus driveways and spot repairs. The project includes new sidewalks and curb work around the nursing home and site work behind the administration building.

- Mountain View laundry addition and Gopher loan: Delegates approved a plan to expend $1.937,932 on a 1,400-square-foot laundry addition at Mountain View Community and related nursing-home improvements. The county will spend the full amount and seek reimbursement through the Gopher revolving-loan program; meeting presenters said the county expects partial reimbursement (the package referred to a $775,000 reimbursement figure) and must complete expenditures by 2026-06-30 under the loan timeline discussed during the meeting.

- Budget transfers and fund balance: A $5,500 intra-department transfer for the nursing home (to add $3,000 to overtime and $2,500 to vehicle expense) was approved earlier in the meeting. The delegation also approved moving additional ARPA-related amounts into the operating budget and a use-of-fund-balance adjustment of $12,080,469 to reflect approved projects and cash-flow needs.

Discussion and concerns

Delegates repeatedly raised two recurring concerns: (1) the county frequently received only one bid for public works projects, and several delegates urged hiring or contracting for independent cost estimates or project consultants so the county can verify pricing before committing funds; and (2) timeline and scope clarity for large projects, especially those tied to outside reimbursement (Gopher) and state approvals.

Representative Brown pressed for routine outside estimates and said the county should budget for consultant fees so future bids can be judged against an independent price. Several delegates agreed that mobilization, scope and contractor capacity explain some single-bid outcomes, but they still asked staff to improve the bidding process.

The nursing home’s operational needs were cited repeatedly as the immediate driver for several approvals. The nursing home administrator requested the $5,500 transfer to cover overtime and vehicle expense shortfalls. On the laundry addition project, staff and contractors explained that adding laundry capacity requires upgraded mechanical, sprinkler and utility work that increases costs beyond a simple per-square-foot comparison.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve May 12 meeting minutes — approved (roll-call vote recorded).
- Nursing-home transfer: $5,500 (add $3,000 to overtime, $2,500 to vehicle expense) — approved (motion and second recorded).
- Carpet replacement: $67,262 (county attorney, sheriff’s department, jail) — approved (motion and roll-call vote recorded).
- County complex paving: $691,510 (multiple line items for campus areas, sidewalks and spot repairs) — approved (motion and roll-call vote recorded).
- Mountain View laundry addition and related capital spending to be submitted to Gopher (request to expend $1,937,932 to secure reimbursement) — approved (motion and roll-call vote recorded). Presenters said reimbursement under the Gopher program is anticipated but not guaranteed; project must be expended by 2026-06-30 under the program timeline discussed.
- Capital budget bottom line adjusted to $6,704,884 (new line items created) — approved.
- General fund/expenditure bottom line and use of fund balance adjusted to reflect additional approved items (use of fund balance of $12,080,469 recorded) — approved.
- Motion to disband the investigative subcommittee so county commissioners could concentrate on pending litigation — approved.

What was not decided or remains to be done

- Several delegates asked staff to seek better bid coverage and to obtain independent estimates on future projects. The delegation did not adopt a new consultant contract at the meeting; delegates requested commissioners and staff return with a plan for future estimating and bid solicitation improvements.

- The Gopher reimbursement request will be submitted to governor and council for scope-change approval; presenters said the county would seek that approval and provide required quotes and schedules on an expedited basis.

Details and context

During the budget review the clerk and finance staff said second-quarter expenditures were generally on track and that the transfers and additional lines were intended to reduce the need for future transfers. Airport, registry-of-deeds and corrections revenues were described as meeting or exceeding projections.

Several delegates asked for documentation of prior ARPA decisions and pointed to a prior decision to take the ARPA standard allowance; staff said prior CFO correspondence and public documents in delegates’ packets formed the basis for earlier votes. In response to member questions, presenters confirmed that ARPA/project-related interest remained in a separate account and that staff could delay transferring interest until a full-year calculation could be included in a future budget if the delegation preferred.

Ending

Delegates approved the package of transfers, capital projects and budget adjustments after extended discussion about bids, contractor selection and project timing. Several members asked the county commissioners and staff to return with a plan to secure independent pricing estimates for future large capital projects. Staff said they would proceed with contract vetting and with the next steps required to submit the Gopher scope-change request for governor and council consideration.