Grand County trims 2025 budget but approves OHV grant and health MOU; trail ambassador funding reduced to keep program running through year-end

Grand County commissioners approved a 2025 budget amendment on July 15 that trims county spending yet preserves limited funding for trail ambassador work through the end of the year, while separately approving an OHV grant application and a public-health memorandum of understanding to support recreation and human-waste response work.

The action followed more than an hour of public comment urging the county to maintain funding for the Grand County Trail Ambassador program, which county staff and public-health officials say has materially reduced human-waste incidents, prevented search-and-rescue calls and improved visitor interactions. Public speakers included volunteers, outdoor-business owners and professionals who described the program as “award-winning” and an essential part of the county’s visitor-management toolkit.

Commissioners voted to adopt the budget amendment after a long discussion of options. County staff said the amendment would draw roughly $1.86 million from the general-fund reserve to balance 2025, including a $340,791 general-fund contribution to replace some previously planned TRT (tourism tax) support for Grand County Active Transportation (GCAT). Finance staff said the county still faced an overall shortfall of about $1.9 million entering the amendment process.

The public hearing and email record included…