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Commissioners told FY2026 draft faces roughly $850K operating gap; $1.60/hour COLA would widen it
Summary
Auditors summarized FY2026 working totals showing about an $849,850 operating deficit before final COLA decisions; the Chair's $1.60/hour across‑the‑board increase would add an estimated $879,823 in payroll cost, and the court scheduled follow‑up sessions to refine tradeoffs and next steps.
Auditors presented a near‑final operating picture for FY2026, showing an estimated operating deficit of about $849,850 based on the most recent department requests and current salaries. The Chair reminded commissioners of a previously inserted $1.60/hour across‑the‑board pay increase included in the preliminary budget as a maximum, and auditors said adopting that full $1.60/hour COLA across all employees would add roughly $879,823 to payroll costs.
"If we went with a dollar 60, we're looking at $879,823.36," the auditor said when summarizing the countywide payroll impact. Commissioners noted they had already incorporated an $1,100‑plus per‑employee insurance increase into the preliminary budget and asked colleagues to consider tradeoffs carefully. The court scheduled additional budget work sessions for the following week and directed auditors to produce revised line items that show how different COLA choices and the IT or other departmental changes would affect the bottom line.
No final decision on a countywide pay increase was made; the court emphasized the need to balance market targets with an achievable budget and asked members to come prepared to make decisions during the next meetings.
