Commissioners open FY2026 preliminary budget hearing, recess to obtain debt-service data

The Roosevelt County Commission opened a public hearing on its FY2026 preliminary budget and then recessed after commissioners said they needed additional financial information to proceed.

S2 called Item 3C and asked for a motion to go into public hearing on the preliminary FY2026 budget; S1 moved and S1 seconded, and the commission voted to enter the public hearing.

During the hearing, S3 asked whether the commission wanted to handle a requested $1,300 safety allocation from each department or from the general fund. S6 said either approach would work, and the board discussed how the adjustment should be recorded. The commission did not adopt a funding source during the hearing.

S1 asked for the county's debt service coverage ratio before proceeding further. Staff (S2, S3) said they did not have that figure available at the meeting. Commissioners said they could not responsibly advance budget decisions without knowing the county's overall debt service coverage. S1 moved to recess so staff could obtain the requested data; the motion carried by voice vote.

S2 said the meeting would reconvene "at the call of the chair" once staff supplied the requested numbers; commissioners asked for approximately an hour to allow staff time to gather the information.

No final budget adoption or vote occurred before the recess; the public hearing was left open pending receipt of the requested financial figures.