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Broadwater County adopts preliminary FY2026 budget, leaves hearing open for final adjustments
Summary
The Broadwater County Commission approved a preliminary fiscal year 2026 budget at a public hearing May 28 in Townsend, while officials said revenue figures remain preliminary and further adjustments will be made before final adoption in June.
The Broadwater County Commission on May 28 approved the county’s preliminary fiscal year 2026 budget at a public hearing in the Flynn Building in Townsend and left the hearing open for final adjustments leading to a final adoption in June.
County administrative officer Bill Jurocki said the documents posted on the county website present preliminary revenue and expenditure figures and that staff and department heads will continue fine‑tuning numbers before the final budget. “The purpose of the preliminary budget is to set the stage for the fine tuning that we will do with all the departments,” Jurocki said.
The preliminary materials shown at the hearing incorporate last year’s budgets as a starting point while staff update revenue estimates, including property tax receipts and federal and state grants. Finance officer Debbie Kelly said payroll assumptions in the preliminary documents reflect a 2.5% cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA) that was included for planning purposes. “This is very rough as Bill said,” Kelly said, noting the county is still awaiting final property tax and PILT information and employer rates for workers’ compensation and unemployment.
Jurocki told commissioners the county faces revenue pressure in its public safety budget after a failed excess levy, and staff plan to pursue increased prisoner‑board revenue (charges to other governments to house inmates) and additional expenditure reductions to help close the gap. He said the county will also monitor state shared revenues and discretionary federal grant funding that offset property tax reliance.
Commissioners voted by voice to accept the preliminary budget and keep the public hearing open until the June final budget hearing. The motion to approve the 2026 preliminary budget was moved and seconded; the board recorded the vote by voice and the motion passed.
County staff asked residents with questions to consult the budget documents available on the Broadwater County website or to contact the finance office; the hearing remains open to written and oral comments until the final hearing in June.
