Jackson County administrators present amended 2026 budget; final vote set for next week

County Administrator Steven Arbo presented an amendment to Ordinance 6044 in a public hearing before the Jackson County Legislature on Dec. 8, saying the proposed all‑funds budget would total roughly $544,000,000 and incorporate several staffing and benefit changes for 2026.

Arbo, who identified himself to the legislature as the county administrator, said the amendment budgets a 1.5% merit rate distributed across 12 months with the intention of awarding a 3% merit increase effective July 1: "This budget includes a 1.5% merit pay, over the 12 month period ... It is our intention to provide a 3% merit increase". He told legislators the amendment reflects updated actuarial pension obligations (pension contributions rising from 12.57% to 14.28%) and a $1,100,000 equipment addition and 20 full‑time positions to staff a new detention center.

Arbo also described the overall budget makeup: about $200,000,000 for personnel, $160,000,000 for contractual services, roughly $80,000,000 for operating transfers and $50,000,000 for debt service. On projected revenues he said, "Our projected revenue ... is right around $455,000,000," noting the draft budget includes a one‑time $35,000,000 ARPA transfer. He said that without that transfer the county would face an operating gap, but that Jackson County has a historical practice of budgeting conservatively and expecting salary savings at year end.

Legislators questioned the structural approach to budgeting and fund‑balance treatment. One legislator pressed whether the county meets the state‑mandated balanced‑budget rule; Arbo responded that the county identifies existing fund balances and other revenue sources to meet projected expenditures. Legislator Lauer asked how close the county is to the state‑required undesignated balance; a county official said the general fund meets the 3% state requirement included in this budget.

Some legislators sought clarity on how much unspent personnel funding typically remains at year end. Arbo and staff said an estimate of unspent personnel funds was "over $12,000,000" but not exact, and that recruiting and retention decisions for newly budgeted positions (including in detention and the prosecutor’s office) will affect that number.

Beverly Newman, the court administrator, appeared during the public hearing to say she met with Arbo and that the court’s previously reduced line items were restored and comply with controlling statute.

The legislature closed public testimony on Ordinance 6044 and also closed a paired public hearing for Ordinance 6045 (the tentative 2026 tax levy). Because testimony was taken, the body postponed final action on both the annual budget (Ordinance 6044) and the tentative tax levy (Ordinance 6045) to the next legislative meeting, scheduled for Dec. 15, 2025.

What’s next: The budget amendment will return for a formal vote at the legislature’s Dec. 15 meeting. The administration and budget staff said they will work with a budget committee to refine fiscal projections and to discuss whether a different budget policy should be adopted to reduce reliance on year‑end salary savings.