Emery County amends LBA 2026 budget, adds $300,000 buffer for potential projects

The Emery County Commission on March 23 voted to amend the 2026 budget of the Emery County Local Building Authority (LBA), increasing the LBA budget by $300,000 to create a funding buffer for several potential projects.

A committee member moved to amend the LBA budget by $300,000; another commissioner seconded the motion. Clerk (S1) called the roll; responses recorded in the transcript were "Jensen? Yes. Leonard? Yes. Forward? Yes." The motion carried on that roll call.

The amendment does not approve specific projects. Commissioners said the change only reopens and increases the LBA appropriation so funds are available; any project using those funds must return for separate approval and comply with bid and contracting procedures. "Before you begin them, you would need to get approval," a staff member said during the meeting.

Commissioners and staff described four near-term priorities the LBA buffer would cover. A committee member identified work at the sheriff's office to support search-and-rescue operations, including vehicles and equipment, discussed in the meeting as roughly a $60,000 need. The Farrin Library was discussed for accessibility upgrades and landscaping; participants cited a prior $10,000 contribution and estimated the larger project at about $100,000, with an expectation of cost-sharing from the library and other grants. Another potential project is a weigh station at the fair/ag center to serve county users; rough ballpark estimates discussed ranged from $30,000 to $50,000, and the commission discussed a user-fee model to offset maintenance. Huntington senior-related work was also mentioned without a firm estimate.

Staff member Brenda cautioned that routing library projects through the LBA complicates accounting because the LBA requires separate claims and checks. "It really complicates things to move library things over to LBA because LBA is kind of a whole separate situation," Brenda said. Commissioners discussed the option of transferring LBA funds into county accounts or coordinating agreements with the library to simplify bookkeeping.

Commissioners emphasized the estimates discussed at the meeting were ballpark figures and that detailed bids and cost estimates remain to be obtained. One participant said the $300,000 buffer "isn't really necessarily planned on being used every penny of it" but would allow the county to respond quickly to projects without reopening the budget for each item.

The commission adjourned after approving the budget amendment. Next steps noted by commissioners: individual project proposals must return to the board or relevant authority for formal approval, and public procurement rules and bidding processes will apply.