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Ada County emergency management seeks modest FY26 budget while outlining preparedness priorities after Valley Fire
Summary
Emergency Management presented a largely flat FY26 operating budget, highlighted preparedness/mitigation work since the October Valley Fire, and requested continued federal grant funding and $50,000 seed funds for aquifer research partnerships.
Ada County Emergency Management and Community Resilience presented a FY26 budget proposal that holds operating spending near current levels while describing expanded responsibilities and continued investments in preparedness, training and regional collaboration.
Director Joe Lombardo told commissioners his office’s proposed FY26 operating budget would be about $73,530 (operating) and personnel costs of $672,412, with a total FY26 request near $745,942 — roughly $31,000 less than the prior year. Lombardo said the office is managing conservatively against federal grant uncertainty, noting the Emergency Management Performance Grant has been reduced in recent years and that last year’s grant took a 9% cut.
Nut graf: The office emphasized a shift from reactive incident management to a preparedness posture emphasizing hazard mitigation, planning and exercises. Lombardo and Deputy Director Kras Marusic outlined mitigation and public education programs, a multi-jurisdictional hazard-mitigation plan used by 21 local governments, and the Valley Fire response as practical evidence of the office’s work.
What the office asked for and why: Lombardo described priorities including building multi-agency incident management teams, improving evacuation messaging zones, expanding family assistance and mass-care planning, maintaining the emergency operations center and sustainment of notification systems (CodeRED), and managing regional capabilities (hazmat, SWAT coordination, specialized medical triage kits). He described an operating approach that has reduced training/conference spend and trimmed vehicle maintenance to prioritize core readiness.
On the Valley Fire: Lombardo said pre-incident planning, exercises and investments (evacuation annex formalization, family assistance center “FAQ-in-a-box” supplies, agreements with Valley Regional Transit for emergency transport) improved the county’s response and readiness. He said the office will continue building regional capacity and training to account for potential changes in FEMA support and to respond to the county’s relatively isolated metropolitan footprint.
Why it matters: The office is statutorily required under the State Disaster Preparedness Act (Title 46, Chapter 10) and provides services that directly affect life-safety, evacuation and continuity of government. Lombardo urged the commissioners to continue supporting measured grant-based staffing and sustainment of scalable warning/evacuation systems.
