Commission adopts fiscal year 2027 final budget after questions on legal fees

The Grant County Commission adopted Resolution R-26-24 to finalize the fiscal year 2027 budget after commissioners asked questions about attorney fee budgeting and transparency.

A commissioner asked how much funding was set aside for the county's outside legal services and how that compared with the prior year. Staff (Staff member (Speaker 5)) answered that $150,000 was budgeted for the current fiscal year for outside legal services, and reported that last year the county spent $79,747.93 of the $150,000 budgeted.

Staff explained legal services are billed at hourly rates with itemized invoices; unused budgeted funds do not roll forward but revert to the county's general fund at year end. "It goes back into your general fund for the next year," Staff member (Speaker 5) said, adding that the county can request a budget adjustment during the year if additional funds are needed.

Commissioners discussed whether the county could use resources provided through New Mexico Counties for some personnel-related questions; staff said those resources are limited and do not replace county-specific legal advice. Commissioners also asked that the final adoption document be labeled and posted as the "final budget" (v2) to avoid confusion between versions.

After the discussion, the commission approved the resolution by voice vote and directed staff to make the final budget available online.