Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pennington County budget hearings highlight $5 million gap, personnel costs driving pressure
Summary
Commission staff and outside agencies presented 2027 budget requests June 23; county director Jordan said preliminary figures show $129 million in requests versus roughly $124 million in expected revenues — a $5 million imbalance — and asked commissioners to focus on operations and capital while personnel numbers are finalized.
Pennington County commissioners heard opening remarks and a budget primer on June 23 as department heads and outside agencies presented their 2027 requests.
Commission director Jordan told the board the presentation bundles use placeholder 2026 personnel numbers while final 2027 staffing figures are settled. “We’re already starting from a position of having some pretty high expenditures,” he said, summarizing a preliminary total expenditure figure of about $129 million against anticipated revenues of roughly $123–124 million, leaving an approximate $5 million shortfall if the board wants a balanced budget. Jordan urged commissioners to focus on operations and capital needs while personnel allocations are finalized.
Why it matters: Personnel costs already make up an estimated 57% of the draft spending plan, meaning decisions on staffing and benefit choices will strongly influence whether the county can close the deficit by July and September budget deadlines. Jordan told the board no final votes were planned for the June 23 hearing; the next formal provisional budget steps were scheduled for the July 7 and July 21 meetings.
Supporting details: Jordan said revenues have risen only modestly and that some increases reflect one-time or reallocated items that are now being explicitly budgeted rather than supplemented later. He noted changes already under way — for example, moving some HR functions from the sheriff’s office into the commission office — and described other offsets (bond-funded projects, restricted funds) that could help close the gap in part. Jordan asked commissioners to provide guidance on priorities during the July sessions so staff could prepare follow-up material.
Next steps: The board will review department-level proposals at upcoming July meetings and expects to adopt a provisional budget later in July before the final adoption window in September.
