Calhoun County adopts balanced $63 million 2026 budget with no new millage

The Calhoun County Board of Commissioners voted 6–0 on Dec. 4 to adopt the county’s fiscal year 2026 budget and appropriations resolution, approving an approximately $63 million spending plan and associated controls on transfers and staffing.

County Administrator Kelly Scott summarized the budget as a mostly inflationary update: expenditures rise about 3.3% from the prior year, and the plan includes a roughly $500,000 contribution to the county’s fund balance. Scott said projected year-end reserves would be about $7.2 million, below the board’s $10.7 million target, and outlined a five‑year plan to rebuild the fund balance.

The budget keeps current millage rates in place; Scott said no new millage is being requested and attributed prior reductions to required Headley rollbacks that have trimmed roughly $1 million annually from revenue. The package includes line‑item detail for the general fund, capital improvement fund, the road department and other required funds, plus a fee schedule and staffing allocation matrix.

Scott told commissioners the budget incorporates a mix of revenue adjustments and one‑time or restricted sources: an additional roughly $200,000 in public safety revenue sharing from the state, supplemental funding for the prosecutor’s office tied to local crime statistics, use of opioid settlement funds to offset sheriff, health and court costs, and a $1.5 million scheduled transfer from the delinquent tax revolving fund together with an added $1 million agreed by the treasurer to restore a prior reduction in transfers.

On the expense side, Scott said employee health insurance rose about 4% and county staffing counts are planned at about 730 full‑time equivalents, roughly 21 fewer funded positions than the current year; large reductions were noted in the health department. The road department budget remains a separate governmental fund and is roughly $43 million next year, Scott said, fueled in part by a ~36% increase in state transportation funding.

Commissioners praised staff for timely preparation; the board approved the resolution without amendment. The motion passed on roll call, 6–0. The budget book and supporting narrative, fee schedule and staffing allocations are included in the county’s public packet and will govern budgetary controls and limits on transfers and staffing changes for the year ahead.

The board will next meet Dec. 18, 2025; an organizational session is scheduled Jan. 15, 2026.