Appropriations committee opens $13.5 million budget request, flags roads and large capital items

The Cache County Appropriations Committee on Monday opened a budget packet requesting roughly $13,500,000 in new appropriations across county funds and spent much of its meeting vetting large capital items and departmental requests.

Matthew Funk, the county auditor, told the panel the opening contains 74 items across funds and that “more than half, by far, at least 9 and maybe closer to 10,000,000 is roads.” He walked members through a series of requests that included road projects, backup generators, a fuel-island canopy and equipment rollovers that were appropriated in prior years but not yet spent.

Why it matters: the packet would add new spending across many funds while the county is managing a projected 2026 general-fund deficit; most of the large dollar requests come from capital projects and grant-related funds rather than general fund dollars.

Key items and committee concerns

- Road projects: Several road projects (items labeled 10–12 and multiple later line items) account for the largest share of the total request. Funk said these are newly funded projects that will not be offset by grants in the county general fund and clarified that many are budgeted in the general fund capital projects account.

- Fuel Island canopy and management system: Public Works asked for about $35,000 in additional funding to complete a fuel-island canopy and update a legacy fuel-management system. Members questioned whether the system’s cloud-based features and transaction visibility justify near-term spending, with one member observing that the failure of the current system would disrupt fueling operations for county vehicles and emergency response.

- Backup generators and supply-chain price pressure: Committee members repeatedly flagged large generator requests (separate items cited at roughly $274,000 and $275,000) and asked why the county was repeatedly being asked to fund backup generators across departments. Members noted rising equipment costs and slow procurement as a pattern requiring closer scrutiny.

- Equipment and PO rollovers: The committee reviewed a long list of purchase-order rollovers (previously appropriated but unspent funds), including a concentration of rollovers connected to fairgrounds projects. Funk said many POs remain unspent for extended periods and recommended closer follow-up with department managers before approving new awards.

Smaller appropriations: The packet also includes donations (a small Search and Rescue donation and a $2,930 gift from Campbell Scientific), a $19,350 request to pay a vendor invoice for a sheriff’s vehicle lighting upfit, a replacement high-speed printer for tax notices, and a roughly $65,800 appropriation to cover the county’s recent purchase of an acre near the jail that was purchased before an appropriation was approved.

Next steps: The committee agreed to hold two items (a proposed janitor supervisor position and a disputed airport tuition item) while staff gathers more documentation. The panel also agreed to pass the remaining items on to the full council for consideration after the requested follow-up.

The meeting adjourned after a final voice vote.