Deputy County Manager Dion Stroder told the Board that departments submitted 68.755 FTE requests during the 2025 budget process and that administration asked departments to re‑prioritize those requests after revenue forecasts softened.

“ The total that were requested last year ... was 68.755 FTE,” Stroder said, explaining that the county paused new FTE approvals last fall while staff rechecked revenue projections and the effect of federal funding uncertainty.

That review reduced the active request list to 28 FTE with a potential salary‑and‑benefits impact of $3,429,664.89. Stroder said departments pulled back a number of positions during the review; Public Health and Human Services removed their requests pending further program analysis. Several mid‑cycle requests had already been approved earlier in 2025 — notably 14 FTE tied to domestic violence caseloads transferred from Aurora (eight for the District Attorney and six for the sheriff), which Stroder said would be included in a subsequent budget amendment.

Most of the remaining 28 recommended positions are for the sheriff’s office, Stroder said; after reworking and folding some requests into a mid‑cycle package, staff recommended approving 12 of 14 outstanding sheriff positions from the 2024 requests. Other recommended moves included one real estate technician in the assessor’s office, one senior field engineer in community and economic development, building maintenance and security positions in Fleet & Facilities, a coroner’s death investigator assistant, and a Family Justice Center coordinator for the District Attorney’s Office. Some law‑enforcement and DA positions were recommended to be considered in the 2026 budget process, per conversations with those offices.

Stroder also reviewed how the county classifies labor: regular FTE (permanent, benefit‑eligible), project‑funded (temporary, tied to funding or project term), and temporary/seasonal. Several homelessness navigation and poverty‑reduction positions funded through ARPA were recommended to continue as project‑funded through the end of ARPA and be reconsidered during 2026 planning. On departmental data analytics, staff said they expect to continue a central “SIT” team while allowing some program‑specific analysts to remain embedded when regulatory or program requirements make that necessary.

Commissioners asked about timing and implementation. Stroder said that if the Board approves the recommendations staff will bring the positions forward on a September second amendment; departments would be allowed to start recruitment after Board approval and before formal adoption of the amendment. He confirmed the previously approved DA/sheriff positions related to Aurora would be formally included in that amendment as well.

The presentation closed with staff urging further review during the 2026 budget cycle of positions not recommended for approval this year.

Ending: The Board did not adopt positions during the study session; staff sought direction to include the recommended positions in the second budget amendment for formal public hearing and adoption in September, and said they would return with additional detail for items held for 2026.