Story County supervisors review FY27 budget; staff flags uncertain revenues, placeholders for projects

County supervisors met Feb. 9 in a budget work session to review the proposed FY27 spending plan and to identify items that require further confirmation before final adoption.

Alyssa Wignell, director of internal operations and human resources, opened the board-level budget review by noting the board has “no revenues, so we don't have to do anything on revenues,” and described a modest net reduction from the FY26 request after line-by-line adjustments. Key line-item changes included a $500 increase for office supplies, higher certified-mailing costs tied to COBRA notices, elimination of the cell-phone stipend and a $3,418 communications line after consolidating services.

Why it matters: staff highlighted a set of items that are still uncertain — including reestimates of local-option sales tax revenue and carryforwards for unspent grant allocations — and cautioned supervisors against promising rural or local-option sales tax dollars until the actual receipts are known.

In several areas staff proposed placeholders rather than firm commitments. For example, conservation and community projects such as Camelot and the Huxley splash pad remained included as funding placeholders pending grant awards; the presenter said, “I'll move it forward if they don't spend — if they don't request it this year, I'll move it forward again until we hear anything.”

Staff also recommended conservative adjustments on legal and insurance-related accounts. The county reestimated second-judicial court and appointed-counsel costs upward after recent high bills, and discussed maintaining a larger insurance reserve to cover potential major vehicle or liability claims.

Next steps: staff will reestimate the current year where warranted and present updated numbers at the board's Thursday follow-up meeting. No formal votes were recorded during the session.