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Board moves toward tentative FY‑27 budget with TNT property tax rate and targeted reserves
Summary
During a long budget work session the board directed staff to include a Truth‑in‑Taxation primary rate recommendation, consider pre‑funding an ambulance, increase flood‑control reserves and to apply cash toward the county's PSPRS pension shortfall while refining line‑item impacts before the June tentative adoption.
Greenlee County supervisors spent extensive time on budget priorities and gave staff direction to package a tentative FY‑27 budget for adoption later this month, including property‑tax rate guidance and targeted uses of year‑end cash.
Renee (finance staff) presented the tax‑rate worksheet and recommended the board adopt the Truth‑in‑Taxation primary property tax rate of 0.08967. The recommended rate is intended to preserve levy revenue in light of declines in assessed valuations; staff estimated the adopted rate would yield about $3.9 million in levy revenue. "If we go with the TNT rate this year, that's about where the board sits most years," finance staff said.
On capital and contingency, staff proposed several one‑time uses of accumulated cash and contingency balances: pre‑funding an ambulance purchase through the Public Health Service District, shifting COVID‑era budget 'bubble' cash into a capital improvement fund to cover planned park and fairground projects, and increasing the Flood Control District's reserves given slower or uncertain post‑disaster federal/state reimbursement timing. The board asked staff to explore whether Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) or other partner funding could contribute to an ambulance purchase serving multiple towns.
Staff also recommended applying approximately $700,000 toward the county’s public safety pension (PSPRS) unfunded liability to restore actuarial balance after a period of higher‑than‑assumed wage increases. Derek explained the unfunded gap rose after several years of wage increases above actuarial assumptions and recommended a one‑time payment to reduce long‑term pension costs.
Board members accepted staff direction to build these items into the tentative budget and to hold a focused budget work session on June 10 at 8:00 a.m. for final adjustments, vehicle purchases and to finalize positions to include in the tentative. The board emphasized it could remove or lower items before final adoption if legislative or revenue developments change the county’s outlook.
