Mike Summer, presenting an overview of the proposed 2026 Saint Charles County budget, told the County Council the county’s goal is to maintain a 10% general fund reserve in addition to a 3% statutory reserve and outlined where key schedules and fund summaries can be found in the publicly posted budget document.

“The goal is always to have a 10% reserve,” Summer said, and he described the document’s index and page references for general fund and special funds. He told councilmembers that two-thirds of the county’s general fund is sales‑tax driven and noted the budget includes a 2% merit increase and a 2% cost‑of‑living adjustment for employees.

Summer told the council that a recent Missouri Supreme Court ruling prevents the county from collecting the adult‑use marijuana sales tax going forward, removing roughly $2 million a year from expected revenues and creating the potential for about $3.6 million in refunds on the $3.6 million collected over 26 months.

Councilmembers pressed for precise dollar figures tied to the 10% reserve and to better separate so‑called rollover funds from the operating budget. Summer and staff said rollover/carryover funds — money budgeted for projects already in progress — account for about $272 million of the $600 million total shown in the budget documents, and that the county’s more readily controlled budget is closer to $325–$350 million depending on counting conventions. Staff said many road and parks projects are multi‑year and account for much of the rollover total.

The proposed budget also includes modest increases in employer pension and retirement contributions and a small staffing increase (six full‑time equivalents recommended of 14 requested), plus allocations for ARPA funds that must be spent by 2026.

Next steps: staff scheduled work sessions at the council's upcoming meetings to drill into the document, supply requested dollar amounts for the 10% reserve and rollover details, and review department‑level requests.