County staff present five‑year budget projections showing near‑term gap; board told to prioritize

County staff walked the board through an amended budget and five‑year forecast intended as preliminary "homework" for fiscal‑year 2025 planning.

Staff reported an amended budget of about $93,765,000 and explained modeling assumptions, including a 3 percent operational increase assumption, and two scenarios for capital deferrals. Under baseline assumptions the county faces a roughly $2.2 million shortfall in the near term; including all capital requests would increase the fiscal challenge substantially. Staff highlighted a pattern: revenues and expenditures flip across the forecast period with near‑term deficits and later years where revenues modestly exceed expenditures, contingent on debt retirement and other assumptions.

Discussion focused on which capital items are essential (public safety roof and HVAC) and which can be deferred; supervisors were warned that contingency and compensation reserves are being used to cover immediate needs. Staff provided estimates for major capital items (ambulances, ladder trucks, a potential $6 million indoor training facility or consolidated regional facility) and said departments will begin formal requests in January. Supervisors were asked to review priorities and to prepare to make tradeoffs in the early budget cycle.

Next steps: departments will bring more detailed proposals beginning in January and the board will return to formal budget deliberations with the finance team.