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Lincoln County planning budget review flags near-9% insurance rise, $26,656 grant and higher revenues
Summary
At a planning-department budget review, staff reported an employee insurance premium increase of about 8.8%, outlined a $26,656 grant that must be paid up front and reimbursed later, and said department revenues have already exceeded projections this year.
Lincoln County planning staff reviewed a draft FY25–26 budget on the county’s schedule and highlighted three finance pressures: a nearly 8.8% rise in employee insurance costs, a $26,656 grant that requires up-front payments with later reimbursement, and unexpectedly strong fee revenue this year.
Jesse, who presented the department’s proposed line-by-line figures, said wages were largely unchanged in the draft pending final county wage figures but that employee benefits showed the most material increase because of the insurance change. “We just got word today from Dallas…that the employee insurance is going to go 8.8%,” a presenter said, and staff reflected that increase in benefit projections.
The budget also includes a grant-funded professional-services project with a total value discussed as $26,656. Jesse explained the county must pay most expenses up front and will be reimbursed later; staff estimated roughly $24,000 would be reimbursed and that the county’s out-of-pocket match could be up to about $2,900 (discussed in the meeting as a 10% match and a maximum outlay of $2,961).
Jesse asked the group for guidance on adding two new or clarified line items: vehicle repairs and vehicle insurance for a department vehicle recently acquired from a departing employee, and transportation reimbursements for planning-board members to attend site visits in Eureka. He said he had not yet priced the needed repairs and would seek a quote from a local vendor, Timberline, to determine whether the cost should be placed under a repairs/maintenance line (code 360) or created as a separate vehicle-maintenance item.
On revenues, Jesse reported the planning department had collected about $62,300 so far this fiscal year and said there was potential for a large project that could add as much as $120,000 before year-end. He cautioned that such figures are uncertain but noted the department’s fee income has grown substantially compared with two years ago.
Participants also raised enforcement and legal-cost questions. The group discussed instances where the county has relied on outside counsel for code-enforcement matters and whether local code officers can issue citations for floodplain-related violations. Staff noted that participation in the National Flood Insurance Program requires local enforcement activity but that funding to support that enforcement is limited.
No formal votes or motions were taken. Attendees agreed to wait for Dallas’s finalized wage numbers (expected later the same day) before they entered final figures into the county budget system. The meeting paused to reschedule the next presenter, the victim advocate, and concluded pending those follow-ups.
Next steps: Jesse will obtain repair estimates for the department vehicle, confirm exact vehicle-insurance costs, incorporate Dallas’s finalized wage and benefit numbers once available, and carry the grant’s up-front/reimbursement timing into the FY25–26 projected cash flows.
