Commission approves FY2027 budget after heated debate over $600,000 line item

The county commission narrowly approved the fiscal year 2027 budget ordinance after more than an hour of debate over a $600,000 line item and use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Commissioner Chris Gregory moved to approve the budget ordinance; the motion passed on an electronic vote of 13 yes, 5 no and 2 absent.

The meeting erupted into sharper disagreement earlier when a commissioner raised concerns about a $600,000 transfer from fund 171 to fund 101 and said, "I cannot support this budget as is," and asked that the budget be returned to the Budget & Finance Committee. The motion to send the budget back failed after electronic voting and clarifying discussion about how abstentions were being tallied.

Commissioner David noted that part of the $600,000 originated from ARPA funds that had been moved into January and said that using those monies affects the county's one-time funding balance. "Funds that we would have used for one-time purchases in January... were moved into that ARPA," he said, and warned the commission that the general fund balance is near the state's minimum, urging leaders to seek other revenue sources.

Mayor McCall defended the overall proposal, saying departments and elected officials presented lean budgets and that the plan avoids a property tax increase. "I would strongly recommend that we pass this budget as is," the mayor said.

Before the final passage, commissioners debated procedure and packet references; Commissioner Chris Gregory pointed members to the budget packet's page 32 for the line-item detail. A motion to send the budget back to Budget & Finance was moved and seconded but, after vote-counting and procedural clarification, the presiding officer declared that motion failed. The subsequent approval vote carried later in the meeting.

The ordinance's approval was accompanied by related votes earlier in the meeting on tax-rate ordinances; commissioners recorded no increase in the general tax rate as part of the FY2027 package. The commission will proceed with the approved FY2027 appropriations as recorded in the ordinance.