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Board weighs 3% COLA against shrinking unassigned fund balance; some members push for cuts not fund use
Summary
Board members expressed general support for a 3% cost-of-living adjustment but disagreed on relying on the unassigned fund balance to cover the budget gap; County Administrator Evan Vass reminded the Board state law requires a balanced budget and past practice has used fund balance to bridge deltas.
Chairman Tim Taylor asked whether there was a consensus to keep a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for county employees; several members observed that peer localities are using 3% and that the County should remain competitive.
County Administrator Evan Vass reminded the Board that "state law requires you to produce a balanced budget" and that past boards have used the unassigned fund balance to bridge shortfalls rather than immediately shifting all pressure to taxes or cuts. Supervisor Dotson said he is not willing to continue drawing down the unassigned fund for operational costs and that his goal is to reduce that practice over time. Supervisor David Ferguson said raising the tax rate is one method to rebalance the budget; Dotson said he would rather cut expenditures and asked staff where increases could be trimmed.
No final decisions were made at the work session; Board members asked staff for additional detail on revenue and expenditure lines to inform whether the County will rely on unassigned fund balance, raise rates, or cut expenses before final adoption.
