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Commission tells departments to build 2.5% COLA into 2027 budget requests
Summary
Following a presentation tied to the county wage study, commissioners asked department heads to prepare 2027 budget requests aiming to keep budgets flat while building in a 2.5% cost-of-living allowance (matching recent state action).
County staff presented wage-study–based projections for 2026 and asked the commission for guidance ahead of departmental budget meetings.
Commissioners discussed the interaction between step increases (already built into the wage study) and an additional COLA. One commissioner said they would like to keep the overall budget flat but acknowledged built‑in step increases; the board agreed to ask departments to build a 2.5% COLA into their worksheets for planning purposes. ‘‘Overall, I would love not to increase taxes,’’ the presenter said when explaining the budget projection and the trade-offs involved.
The commission scheduled department-head budget direction for April and asked staff to provide clearer notes in budget worksheets showing essential versus discretionary appropriations ahead of the May appropriation presentations.
