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San Miguel County adopts 2025 budget, appropriations and property tax levies; commissioners approve companion solid‑waste budget
Summary
The Board of Commissioners adopted the county’s 2025 budget, appropriations and property tax levies Dec. 5 after staff presented final changes. Commissioners asked staff to document a new personnel allocation approach in the budget memo; the measures passed unanimously.
The San Miguel County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Dec. 5 to adopt the county’s 2025 budget, to appropriate sums for spending agencies and to certify the county’s property tax levies for taxes to be collected in 2025.
Why it matters: The two‑step budget process gives county staff legal authority to spend in the new fiscal year and sets the mill levies that determine property tax revenues. Commissioners said they took care to minimize tax increases in prior years but accepted taking the county’s full mill levy this year to set the new baseline under recent state law changes.
Key details presented • Staff and finance: Ramona Rommel and Paige (county finance staff) reviewed last‑minute updates that incorporated personnel changes, open enrollment costs and other adjustments. Jared Biggs and staff explained the budget approach that holds some personnel appropriations at the fund level and will allocate filled positions to departments once hires are made. • Personnel accounting: Commissioners requested a clearer departmental breakdown of personnel allocations tied to positions anticipated to be filled Jan. 1; staff agreed to return with that allocation and to include a brief memo describing the methodological shift in budget documentation. • Property tax levy: The adopted levy accounts for recent local ballot changes (half‑mill reallocated from parks/open space to housing) and does not include a temporary tax credit. The board certified levies for both the county and the San Miguel County Solid Waste Disposal District.
Votes at a glance • Resolution 2024‑56 (summarizing expenditures and adopting the county budget) — Motion: Commissioner Anne Brown; Second: Chair (Commissioner Waring). Vote: Aye (Brown, Holstrom, Waring). Outcome: approved as amended (budget memo to include methodology changes). • Resolution 2024‑59 (Solid Waste Disposal District budget) — Motion: moved as part of the prior action; Vote: unanimous. Outcome: approved. • Resolution 2024‑57 and 2024‑60 (appropriations to funds/spending agencies) — Motion: Commissioner Brown; Second: Chair Waring. Vote: unanimous. Outcome: approved. • Resolution 2024‑58 and 2024‑61 (levying property taxes for 2024, collected in 2025 for county and solid waste district) — Motion: Commissioner Brown; Second: (recorded). Vote: unanimous. Outcome: approved.
What commissioners asked staff to follow up on • Break out the general‑fund personnel totals into department‑level allocations for positions expected to be filled on Jan. 1 and hold a remaining vacancy balance until hires occur. • Add a short budget memo paragraph (or brochure) explaining the county’s revised budgeting approach (personnel fund‑level accounting and grant‑only project budgeting) for historical clarity.
Ending: Commissioners praised staff for completing the budget ahead of state deadlines and instructed finance to post the updated materials and prepare a departmental personnel allocation report for the board’s next meeting.
