Preliminary 2025 fund results show $6.5M shortfall; commissioners approve partial opioid grant to South Davis Fire

County finance staff presented preliminary, unaudited 2025 general fund results at the April 21 work session, reporting the county spent roughly $6.5 million more than it brought in for the year (an increase from a $4.5 million gap in 2024). Ryan McKenzie, the county clerk, told commissioners that revenue changes — including $2.5 million more in grant revenue and a $1.6 million increase in fees for services, partly driven by an accounting reclassification — explain some of the shifts; he stressed that these figures are unaudited and subject to change when auditors begin work next week.

McKenzie outlined expenditure changes: salaries and benefits rose about 4.2 percent (including cost-of-living adjustments and insurance), contracted services increased roughly $3.5 million primarily because 2025 included a full year of a correctional medical contract, and interest income was down as ARPA funds were spent. He said the county's general fund balance remains within the county’s internal minimum target (about two to four months of operating expenditures).

Staff presented several budget-change requests and smaller spending items: $22,000 to the health department for code-blue costs (to be reimbursed via state drawdown), a $13,000 grant-covered item, a $1,700 pay adjustment tied to the statutory formula for justice court judges, and a $50,000 server upgrade request for the health department.

A prominent operational request came from South Davis Metro Fire District seeking $37,000 from county opioid funds to buy secure lockboxes for ambulances to replace unsecured briefcases used to hold narcotics. Commissioners discussed fairness and the small size of the opioid grant pool (about $29,500 reserved for local grants for 2026), and asked staff to create a formal application and evaluation process rather than awarding ad hoc. In the near term commissioners agreed to provide partial support discussed at $25,000 to help the fire district obtain secure lockboxes and tasked staff to formalize the grant process and timeline.

Staff also summarized tourism rollover requests (about $41,500) for projects that started in 2025 and completed in 2026; commissioners signaled approval. McKenzie said staff will prepare the public hearings and formal amendments needed and return to a regular meeting for formal votes.