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Finance committee warned of nearly $1M budget gap as levy growth lags pay increases
Summary
Budget staff told the finance committee that wage and human services cost pressures are likely to outpace levy and shared revenue gains, and they estimated a budget shortfall near $1 million that will require hard choices and extra meetings.
Cassie, the county staff member leading the budget review, told the finance committee preliminary estimates show modest revenue gains will not match spending pressures next year. "So our sales tax estimate for next year looks like it's gonna go up about $300,000 from, 2025," Cassie said, but she warned that levy limits and payroll growth mean the county will still face tradeoffs.
She outlined that levy limits are tied to net new construction (1.31% this year) and that an increase in shared revenue is modest (about $42,000). On the expense side, staff cautioned human services costs could increase by roughly $500,000 and proposed a 1% COLA with step increases tied to hire anniversaries. Cassie estimated the committee may need about $1,000,000 in cuts or offsets and asked for additional special finance meetings and department head reviews to prioritize spending.
Why it matters: these early projections set the agenda for the 2026 budget cycle. Committee members asked staff to pursue priority‑based reviews and to examine nonlapsing funds and other offsets before recommending levy increases or cuts to services.
