Box Elder staff recommend balanced 2026 ‘Camry’ budget while flagging cuts to services, police fleet needs

Box Elder City Council held a budget workshop in which staff presented three draft budget scenarios for 2026 and recommended a middle, “Camry” plan that balances operations and modest reserve growth.

The presenter, identified in the record as Renee (finance staff), told the council the package is a draft and recommended conservative revenue assumptions: “This is a draft, so it's not in its final form quite yet,” and staff are moving away from carrying audited prior‑year balances into the operating budget. She said the audited 2024 ending balance was $250,000 and staff estimate a 2025 ending balance of about $376,000; the aggressive plan would add roughly $1.2 million to reserves and target an eventual $1.5 million operations reserve, while the balanced plan would tuck about $200,000 into contingency to push reserves higher without deep service cuts.

Why it matters: the workshop mapped how three choices would affect day‑to‑day services, staffing and capital projects. The balanced plan allows cost‑of‑living adjustments and merit increases for employees while trimming some service levels; the aggressive plan prioritizes rapid reserve growth but would cut many operational services across departments.

Key details

- Revenues and…