Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Reserve Fund topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Natrona County commissioners consider dedicated capital reserve to pay for aging buildings
Summary
Commissioners discussed creating a restricted capital reserve funded by interest or a designated budget line to pay for major, unpredictable building repairs across nine county facilities; staff recommended a formal resolution or accounting restriction to keep the money segregated.
Commissioners on the Natrona County Board discussed setting up a formal capital reserve to cover large, unforeseen repairs to county buildings.
During the meeting, one commissioner asked, “How much money should we be budgeting every year to put into a kind of capital reserve … for when unforeseen items come up that are six‑plus figures?” Staff responded that a five‑building study suggested an annual range of roughly $250,000 to $500,000 to keep equipment updated over the long term, though the number varies depending on whether the plan is a five‑year or 20‑year horizon.
County staff and the clerk advised the board that creating the fund would work best as a restricted account and likely require a formal resolution or accounting standards language to maintain the restriction. One staff member suggested the money could be drawn from hospital fund interest as a bookkeeping entry and carried forward year to year if unused.
Several commissioners and staff said the reserve should cover the county’s nine buildings, not just a subset, noting recent surprise costs such as multiple elevator replacements near $400,000 each. Commissioners urged the treasurer and clerk be consulted about whether the reserve should be held in a revenue account rather than an expense account to avoid annual budget requests for the same amount.
No formal action was taken at the meeting; staff were asked to draft options for how to establish the account and to include the line item in the next budget cycle for discussion.
The board’s next steps are for staff to research legal/accounting mechanisms, return with recommended language for a restricted fund or a resolution, and identify potential initial funding sources for commissioners’ consideration.
