Custer County adopts consolidated fee schedule and year-end budget amendments

The Custer County Board of Commissioners adopted Resolution 25-70 on Dec. 31, consolidating department fee schedules and approving a set of rate increases across multiple county services. Commissioners also passed several year-end budget amendments and operational transfers to close out fiscal 2025.

Key measures adopted

- Resolution 25-70 (Fee Schedule): The board approved a consolidated fee schedule that included increases proposed by Road & Bridge staff. Notable changes recorded in the meeting transcript include raising driveway permit fees from $100 to $400, raising service-cut and mains fees (per discussion, $2.50 and a $0.50 per-foot charge for additional footage were discussed), and increasing telephone-pole permit fees (from $50 to $150). The landfill fee schedule adopted increases for public users (bags from $3 to $4; cubic-yard rate from $12 to $16) and mattress disposal (from $5 to $10). Commissioners and staff said the increases reflected crew time and repair costs.

- Resolution 25-71 and 25-72 (Health insurance): The board appropriated $75,000 from the general fund and operationally transferred the same amount to the employee health insurance fund to cover initial administrative fees and stop-loss coverage required as the county transitions to an employer-sponsored health plan.

- Resolution 25-73 (Year-end budget appropriation): Commissioners approved a roughly $223,152.77 appropriation to cover previously authorized but unbudgeted expenses, including rent for off-site space, professional services, communications overages and landfill salary backfill.

- Resolution 25-74 (Self-insurance): The board appropriated $10,000 to the self-insurance fund to backfill increased claims and premium costs.

How the board framed the changes

Road & Bridge staff and commissioners framed the fee increases as cost-recovery measures: driveway and culvert work often requires a backhoe, a water truck and several crew members, which staff said justifies higher permit rates when county crews perform cleanup or repairs. The sheriff’s office said traffic ticket fines would remain unchanged, but staff proposed revising burn-permit fines in an older resolution (20-01) and noted that substantial increases may need to be processed as an ordinance and examined in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling affecting local fee authority.

Votes and next steps

The board voted to adopt Resolution 25-70 and the budget resolutions by voice; recorded affirmative votes included Paul, Lucas and Candice. Staff will finalize updated fee schedules for posting and said departments would follow up on implementation details and enforcement processes (for example, reissuing permits that were not used within 90 days).

Why it matters: The fee changes and budget fixes alter the county’s revenue mix and operational cost recovery. Several items (health-insurance transfers and the year-end budget appropriation) are bookkeeping steps to ensure funds are available for expenses identified at year-end.