Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget General Fund topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Arapahoe County finance staff warn of near-term property-tax shortfall; reserves expected to cover years ahead
Summary
County finance staff told commissioners that preliminary assessor data and recent state changes to assessment rates mean a larger-than-expected assessed-value decline for 2027—about $5 million—though one-time reserves and a recurring capital transfer are expected to keep the general fund solvent through the next budget cycles.
Arapahoe County finance staff told the Board of County Commissioners during a study session that preliminary assessor information and special-session tax changes are likely to produce a larger-than-expected decline in property-tax revenue in 2027. Lisa Stairs, who presented the projections, said staff's current estimate is that "we're projecting it'll be about $5,000,000" less in property-tax revenue than previously expected.
The briefing said the county's adopted and amended general-fund budget shows revenues of about $323.2 million and expenditures of about $321.5 million, leaving an ending fund balance projected near $168.3 million. Staff emphasized assumptions built into the forecast: salary growth of 4.5% in out years, retirement contribution increases to 11% by 2030, an 8% health-insurance increase, and a recurring $15 million annual transfer to the capital-expenditure fund through 2030. Finance cautioned that while those reserves and one-time "1A" funds (about $30 million remaining) provide a multi-year buffer, commissioners should be cautious on ongoing spending given the assessed-value pressures and legislative uncertainty.
