Levy County presents $59M five-year CIP, readies 10% budget-reduction exercise and new personnel posting rules

Levy County officials on Tuesday presented a draft five‑year Capital Improvement Plan that requests about $59 million in 2027 — roughly $14 million more than last year’s CIP — and said they will prepare options to meet a new statewide budget-transparency and 10% reduction exercise.

"It's a $14,000,000 increase from last year to this year," said Jason, Levy County finance administration, noting many projects on the updated CIP are grant‑funded or contingent on outside funding. He listed expanded road maintenance, an ambulance‑replacement and remounting program, and a roof and air‑conditioning replacement plan for county campus facilities among the newly identified needs.

Jason told the board the $14 million figure reflects requests included in next year’s submission and that staff need to memorialize projects on paper even if spending may be shifted later depending on grant awards or available funds. He also said the county budget team will separate grant‑funded items from county‑funded requests in follow‑up materials.

Staff also reviewed personnel budgeting and said an apparent increase in full‑time equivalent (FTE) counts stems from previously partial‑year funding for new fire and EMS battalions, now budgeted at a full year. "That’s why it looks like you have an FTE increase, but you actually have a position decrease," Jason said, explaining the accounting effect.

On benefits, Jason said the county solicited proposals for employee medical insurance and budgeted a 10% increase as a planning assumption; the RFP responses are under review and a vendor recommendation is expected after committee evaluation.

Separately, staff told commissioners about changes from state action requiring counties to provide more budget transparency and to run a 10% reduction exercise. Jason described the changes as two separate requirements: posting a detailed breakdown of personnel costs within 30 days of budget adoption, and preparing a separate version of the budget reflecting a 10% reduction to operating expenditures prior to the second public hearing.

"These are two separate proposals," said a county staff member involved in the budget planning. "One is a transparency requirement with longer advertising lead times and the requirement to post employee information; the other is the 10% exercise to identify potential cuts the board may choose to adopt."

Commissioners and staff discussed ways to meet the 10% exercise without cutting protected services (law enforcement and fire are exempt under the state bill, per staff). Staff said that, on a budget base roughly in the range of $197 million, a 10% exercise would equate to identifying roughly $19.7 million in possible reductions and that they will prioritize capital projects and nonmandated operations for potential cuts.

Jason said the team will meet individually with department heads to separate "needs" from "wants," prepare scenarios that preserve essential services, and present options to the board at future workshops. Accenture, under contract to update special‑assessment roles for fire, EMS and solid waste, will present assessment scenarios on July 7; the proposed budget book is expected July 21.

The workshop was informational only; no votes were taken. The county will return with detailed breakout tables showing which CIP items are grant‑funded and which would require county dollars, and with a menu of options to inform any formal budget decisions later in the process.