Commissioners approve budget and financial-management policy updates; staff outlines millage approach amid pending state ballot measure

The board approved a package of budget and financial-management policy updates and discussed the manager’s approach to the upcoming budget in light of pending state-level proposals.

Staff walked through multiple policy edits: clarifying thresholds for amendments and adjustments in the budget-management policy; formalizing contingency reserves in the county’s 99-30 account; updating an actuarial threshold from 75% to 70% per the new actuary; and adding acquisition language to the capital plan. Staff also proposed dedicating equipment-replacement reserves for county-owned facilities acquired in recent years, including the Budget Inn, Scottish Inn and the Sports Event Center.

Donna Bradbrook of Budget and Fiscal Services explained that the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) minimum standards are being adopted as a baseline for performance measures, including the recommendation to report three years of actuals and at least one year of projected targets so the county can show trend lines in performance reporting.

On the budget build, staff told commissioners the manager has prepared a draft based on a rollback-rate analysis but is not recommending rigidly using the rollback this year because pending state action and a possible ballot measure could change the county’s revenue picture; staff said the manager is currently preparing a budget that will look similar to current millage or slightly decreased and will return June 9 with an analysis of potential impacts. Commissioners discussed communication with the public around millage and the timing of decisions required by July public hearings.

The board moved to approve the policy edits and approved them unanimously by voice vote. Staff will implement the updated policies and return with any additional detail on the budget impact at the June 9 meeting.