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County presents biannual budget kickoff and reserves review for FY2027–28
Summary
Doña Ana County budget staff presented a biannual budget kickoff on Jan. 13, outlining a two‑year budget approach, reserve history (FY24 reserves cited at $205M, dropping to $173M), a 2% baseline operating request guidance, and a calendar with key dates through July 2026.
Doña Ana County staff presented a biannual budget kickoff and reserves overview at the Jan. 13 Board of County Commissioners meeting, outlining the FY2027–28 budget calendar, assumptions and recommended guidance for departments.
Budget lead Eric said the county will adopt a biannual submission — two years of budgets submitted in one fiscal year — to support longer‑term planning and reduce the annual workload for departments. Staff recommended limiting operating budget requests to a 2% increase over FY26 adjusted operating budgets, with a similar 2% cap proposed between FY27 and FY28 as a baseline. The presentation included pros (longer planning horizon, reduced budgeting time) and cons (less frequent formal checkpoints and greater forecast risk) and staff proposed mid‑cycle reporting options.
On reserves, staff cited FY24 county reserves of $205,000,000 and a drop to $173,000,000 after loss of Spaceport GRT and ARPA funds. The presenters referenced best practices from the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration and GFOA and said DFA requires three‑twelfths of general fund expenditures (roughly 25%) as a reference; staff proposed adopting a reserve range and producing a risk‑aware reserve policy for board review.
Key calendar dates: position requests due Jan. 23, operating requests due Jan. 30, capital requests due Feb. 6, department hearings Feb. 9–Mar. 13, preliminary budget submission to DFA due June 1, and final budget target in July. Commissioners asked for follow‑up figures on the amount departments returned to reserves in the prior fiscal year; staff agreed to provide that data.
Why it matters: the biannual approach changes oversight cadence and shifts more routine monitoring to staff unless the board requests quarterly or midyear updates. Commissioners emphasized transparency and requested that departments and elected officials be given opportunities to present major requests during the calendar cycle.
