County Commission finalizes budgets at end of year meeting

Members of the San Juan County Commission approved the adjusted 2025 budget and approved the 2026 proposed budget as part of their last meeting of 2025.
In relation to the budget year ending County Clerk-Auditor Lyman Duncan reported that all county funds including the general operating fund, road funds and public health funds are all ending the year in a positive position at the December 30 meeting of the county commission.
Duncan reported he spent considerable time “patching up” department budgets to ensure they remain within required parameters ahead of an upcoming state audit.
Still a complete picture on the budget ending in 2025 won’t be complete until early spring of 2026 with staff explaining certain grant reimbursements and tax revenues could arrive later in 2026 but be applied to the 2025 accounting.
Commissioner Silvia Stubbs emphasized the importance of reconciliation and asked for a “clear picture” of the final 2025 totals by April to inform future decisions for the commission.
Members of the county commission also approved the 2026 proposed budget which included a three-percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) for county employees.
That COLA won’t apply to all county staff however as the commission clarified that employees who received salary adjustments in 2025 will not receive the additional three-percent COLA. Those excluded employees include those who already saw salary adjustments including sheriff deputies and corrections officers who moved to a new pay scale in October.
Commissioners also excluded themselves from the three-percent COLA increase for their pay. Members of the commission did approve a three-percent COLA for other elected officials including the county attorney, sheriff, clerk-auditor and treasurer.
As part of approving the budget the commission also removed a $266,000 line for software maintenance. The budgeted upgrade of Polaris systems to Oracle was removed as commissioners felt there were too many unanswered questions regarding whether the software met the needs of the departments who would use it most.
The budget also introduced a new way to fund facilities maintenance. Known as fund 15, the new model will assign funds based on square footage of the building they occupy. The change is aimed to address maintenance salaries being charged to specific branch budgets, such as the library system. County staff explained the change will make things cleaner at the end of the year. Noting that the square-footage model is an industry standard that staff says will provide a more accurate reflection of building operations and utility expenses.
The budget also increased the local match required for the county public health fund to $194,000 up about $31,000 from 2025. Staff shares the increase will meet state standards and fully fund positions including the Public Health Director and Nurse Director.
At the conclusion of the meeting during commission reports Commissioner Stubbs reflected on the work to balance the county budget.
"The hardest decision to make is being cognizant of the employees and being able to give a raise," she said, "while trying to make all the numbers work"
Stubbs noted reconciling the budget included four major working sessions for the commissioners on top of hours of work by county staff.
At the meeting members of the commission also held a required public hearing for a Community Development Block Grant. The hearing keeps the county eligible for funds for projects ranging from public works, fire stations, water lines, food banks or other options.
No members of the public offered comments or project suggestions during the hearing.
During commissioner reports it was re-emphsasized the suicide prevention conference scheduled for January 31. The conference is aimed to provide religious leaders and families with skills to support the local community.