Valley County reviews fiscal‑year capital‑improvement requests, commissioners pause $500,000 storage plan

Valley County commissioners heard a presentation July 23 from Treasurer Johanna DeFord on the county—s proposed fiscal‑year 2026 capital‑improvement program, including vehicle replacements, building and equipment upgrades and a proposed 12‑bay equipment storage shed at the county—s new Gold Dust site that carries an estimated cost of about $500,000.

The requests, presented as part of the capital improvements committee—s recommendations, included three annual patrol vehicles for the sheriff—s office (estimated vehicle cost $45,000 plus about $20,000 in upfitting per vehicle), an estimated $120,000 hot‑water boiler replacement that may become an emergency purchase this fiscal year, a $125,000 remodel and bullet‑proof glass installation for the sheriff—s front entry and a Kabarton launch‑site parking‑lot repair estimated just over $50,000 funded by PILT or ARPA.

Why it matters: the requests will feed into the county—s main budget discussions. Commissioners raised concerns about available revenue for Road and Bridge items and asked for additional staff briefings before approving large, multi‑year expenditures.

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