Person County manager previews FY2027 budget and warns revenue growth may not cover all requests
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Summary
County manager previewed FY2027 budget priorities, noting $1.5M of natural property-tax growth but significant operational requests (including a $360,000 ambulance) and potential health-insurance increases; staff presented a calendar that leads to budget adoption in June.
County staff presented a fiscal-year 2027 budget preview at the Feb. 17 retreat, laying out revenue assumptions, departmental requests, and a timetable that includes the recommended budget in May, a public hearing on June 1 and adoption in mid-June.
County Manager Catherine (as identified in the meeting) told commissioners the county anticipates roughly $1.5 million in natural growth in the tax base between the current year and next, but cautioned that increased personnel and other requests will consume part of that growth. On comp and benefits, staff flagged a recommended 3% cost-of-living adjustment and an estimated 11% increase in health insurance premiums.
The manager itemized several operational requests that exceed routine thresholds: a replacement ambulance budgeted at $360,000 (noting delivery lead times of roughly two years), increased jail inmate food costs driven by a 9.5% contract increase, additional maintenance and radio-tower repairs, and technology requests. She said the aggregate of identified operational increases totaled roughly $1.2 million above the current budgeted amounts.
Capital requests also exceed pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) capacity. Staff reported FY27 capital requests of about $9.5 million and a five-year request total of roughly $132.2 million, while existing PAYGO funding of $3.2 million per year (about $16 million over five years) leaves a substantial gap. The manager said staff are evaluating a mix of strategies to bridge the shortfall, including use of fund balance, ARPA, grants and the economic catalyst fund to raise the FY27 CIP to about $5.4 million.
On procurement policy, the board directed the county manager to bring back a draft purchasing policy that would prioritize local businesses when feasible; that request was approved by voice vote.
The manager characterized the FY27 process as iterative and noted that department presentations and additional analysis will inform her recommended budget on May 18, followed by the statutory public hearing and adoption schedule in June.