Staff outlines May work session, public hearing and budget-adoption timeline

Bowen, the staff presenter, gave a timeline to the board and public: a finance work session on May 8 that will include a presentation from Emergency Services Solutions (ESS) to show labor models, a requested public hearing on levies on May 22, and a target of adopting a balanced budget on May 29. Bowen told residents to examine line items closely and cautioned that a large line in the draft budget (about $6 million) is a school grant unrelated to emergency-services funding.

"At that meeting, I will present you some numbers, and as with a balanced budget, I'm gonna ask you to possibly let us have a public hearing May 22, and then with the possibility adopting the budget May 29," Bowen said. He emphasized staff aims to present several funding options (3-month, 6‑month, 1‑year horizons) and to share numbers with the public at the work session so supervisors can make informed decisions before any levy vote. The board scheduled follow-up meetings and asked staff to circulate the study and options in advance.