Pratt County holds budget workshop as department heads review 2027 requests

Pratt County commissioners convened a recess budget workshop on May 2 to review department budget submissions, special‑equipment transfers and contingency planning for 2027. Chair (speaker 1) opened the session and led department presentations while county finance staff walked the group through variances between the budgeted rows and actual 2025 expenditures.

Finance staff noted the county’s assessed valuation (reported in the meeting as $181,000,438) and urged commissioners to treat line‑item transfers conservatively: carry unused amounts through year end and perform formal transfers in November, rather than pre‑allocating tentative lines, to avoid shorting the general fund. On extra interest income, a staff member suggested creating a risk‑management fund to hold unexpected receipts. "Maybe just sticking some of that back as a transfer into the risk management fund," the staff member said, to set aside revenues for future insurance and disaster costs.

The workshop included a broad review of department requests — from EMS staffing and equipment lists to solid‑waste and recycling operations — and a detailed look at the senior‑services transportation grant that would require a small local match. Commissioners agreed to hold a 15‑minute executive session to discuss nonelected personnel; they returned to open session and recorded no action taken. The meeting closed with staff directed to reconcile line‑item allocations, create or confirm required capital or special funds (for example, a noxious‑weed capital outlay fund), and deliver updated worksheets for formal budget adoption.