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Grand County schedules Dec. 22 public hearing on 2026 budget; residents ask for travel spending accountability
Summary
The commission set a Dec. 22 public hearing on the 2026 budget and accepted written comments through Dec. 10; a resident raised questions about proposed increases in commissioners' travel budgets and asked for minimal reporting rules.
The Grand County Commission announced a public hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2025, at 6:17 p.m. to receive input on amendments to the 2025 budget and the adoption of the 2026 budget. The chair said budget documents are available at the Grand County Clerk's Office, 125 East Center Street, Moab, and on the county website, and that written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
During the public-comment period, Mary O'Brien said she was concerned about “the lack of transparency around the access and capacity enhancement proposal” and questioned proposed increases in commissioners’ travel budgets. O'Brien cited specific line items in the draft budget, saying there was a proposed jump “for Brian Martinez of 3000 to 7,500,” an increase for Bill Winfield from 7,000 to 7,500, and Mike McCurdy at 4,500.
O'Brien urged the commission to adopt “some minimal rules in terms of when you've spent county money traveling” and to report the purpose of trips and who was met on behalf of the county. She said residents have seen instances in the past where travel by a commissioner led to actions the public had not been given notice of and called for more accountability.
A county staff member said budget workshops are scheduled for Dec. 8–9 and are open to the public, and that the PDF budget file contains links to department-level detail and past-year expenditures. Staff offered to take feedback and answer questions about individual line items and provided a contact email for follow-up.
