Storey County approves FY2026'27 budgets, interlocal child-support agreement and project amendments

Storey County commissioners unanimously approved the county's final fiscal year 2026'27 budgets and several related items at a May 19 meeting in Virginia City.

Jennifer McCain, Storey County comptroller, presented the final general fund budget, saying revenues remain essentially unchanged at about $69.9 million and that expense adjustments total roughly $1.1 million. She outlined reclassifications for wages and benefits, an added GIS position, increased maintenance for shared fire stations, and a three'year capital project to update court software with $200,000 budgeted for FY2027.

The board discussed increasing community project grants from $10,000 to $20,000 per community. The change affects four grants and adds $40,000 to the budget; McCain said she would update the submitted budget documents to reflect that change. Commissioner Gilman moved to approve the final county budget "with the changes discussed on the record," and the motion passed unanimously.

In separate votes that followed, the board approved the Storey County Water and Sewer Board's FY2026'27 budget and the Storey County Fire Protection District budget. McCain said the water fund budget removes a planned $50,000 for professional services tied to PFAS testing after state and county testing results were coming back negative and federal regulatory timing slowed; the projected ending balances for the water and sewer funds were reported as healthy. Fire district changes include added building maintenance shared with the county, insurance increases and rollovers of major station projects and ordered apparatus.

The board also approved an interlocal agreement that continues reimbursement to Carson City for child'support enforcement hearings held in Carson City juvenile court. Max Cortez, court administrator for the First Judicial District, said the arrangement lets residents use Carson City hearings rather than travel to Reno and that "there's no cost to Storey County for these services." The agreement was approved unanimously.

Commissioners cleared a $61,666.75 amendment to Dow task order 62 for the fairgrounds improvement project to capture bidding support and construction administration costs required to comply with U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development requirements. County staff said the county manager had already signed the contract to keep the project on schedule and brought the amendment to the board for ratification; the amendment passed unanimously.

The board also authorized staff to sign a previously circulated letter supporting nomination of the Northeast Connector Road project to the U.S. Department of Transportation's "Freedom to Drive" initiative and approved second readings of business license items listed on the agenda. All routine motions, including agenda and minutes approvals, passed unanimously.

Votes at a glance - Approve agenda (motion passed unanimously). - Approve minutes of April 21, 2026 (passed unanimously). - Approve consent agenda (passed unanimously). - Approve interstate interlocal child-support agreement with Carson City (total not to exceed $161,060; approved unanimously). - Approve Storey County final FY2026'27 general fund budget (approved unanimously; included a $40,000 increase to community project grants). - Approve Storey County Water & Sewer FY2026'27 budget (approved unanimously; removed a $50,000 PFAS testing line for now). - Approve Storey County Fire Protection District FY2026'27 budget (approved unanimously). - Approve Dow task order 62 amendment for fairgrounds (add $61,666.75; approved unanimously). - Approve letter supporting Northeast Connector Road nomination to USDOT (approved unanimously). - Approve business licenses (second reading items a'h; approved unanimously).

What happened next The board adjourned at 9:33 a.m.; staff will file the final budgets with the Nevada Department of Taxation and update submitted documents to reflect the community grant increase as discussed on the record.