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Grant County presents $51M preliminary FY2027 budget, asks commissioners to consider 2% raises and small elected‑official pay increase
Summary
County finance staff presented a preliminary FY2027 budget projecting about $51 million in revenues and $47 million in expenses, and asked the Board to consider a 2% across‑the‑board raise for employees (estimated $260,336.87) and a pro‑rata elected‑official pay adjustment (estimated $62,122.16). Final DFA and public‑input deadlines were highlighted.
Andrea, Grant County finance staff, presented the preliminary fiscal year 2027 budget at the May 12 work session, saying the county projects roughly $51,000,000 in total revenues and about $47,000,000 in total expenses. She told commissioners the general‑fund personnel cost for 105 positions is about $11,103,198 and that other special‑revenue and enterprise funds account for roughly $7,800,000 in personnel costs.
Andrea asked the board to consider two specific decisions before the regular meeting: a 2% across‑the‑board raise for county employees, which she estimated would cost $260,336.87 including benefits, and an adjustment to elected‑official pay based on the Valiant survey, estimated to cost $62,122.16 for the portion of the fiscal year covered by the preliminary budget. She asked the board to consider approving the preliminary budget resolution (R‑26‑19) at the upcoming Thursday regular meeting.
County Manager (staff) and Andrea explained the way salaries and benefits are budgeted across funds and cautioned that a base salary increase carries additional benefit and tax costs. The county manager said the budget submission is constrained by Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) timelines and emphasized built‑in protections for insurance volatility: "We feel confident with the budget as we've presented to you today, that we can afford the 2%," he said, adding that the county historically plans for up to a 10% insurance increase when preparing budgets to allow for volatility.
Commissioners pressed for clarifications on how enterprise and special‑revenue funds are tracked separately (examples: airport, detention center, shooting range) and how the chief deputy pay and long‑tenured staff salaries relate to elected‑official pay scales. The county manager noted that statute allows the county latitude in setting chief deputy pay (the county’s resolution sets chief deputies at 95% of the elected official salary) and that, in some agencies, long‑tenured staff may earn more than an elected official because of accumulated increases.
Andrea outlined the schedule and deadlines: the preliminary budget must be entered into LGBMS and to DFA by June 1; a public input hearing is scheduled for July 9 and final budget approval for July 11; the final budget must be submitted to DFA by July 31. Andrea and county staff said they will circulate supporting spreadsheets and can make edits before the final submission.
What’s next: The board is scheduled to consider Resolution R‑26‑19 (the FY2027 preliminary budget) at the Thursday regular meeting and may decide then whether to authorize the 2% raise and the elected‑official adjustment. If approved preliminarily, the budget will return for final approval in July.
