Commission forwards preliminary budget with 3% COLA and 3.5% market adjustment

A majority of the Cass County Board of Commissioners voted to forward the county's preliminary 2027 budget for a public hearing on Aug. 3 after approving a compensation proposal that combines a 3% cost-of-living adjustment with a 3.5% market adjustment.

The measure, moved during the budget hearing, packages the COLA and a market correction intended to improve recruitment and retention across county departments. A county staff illustration showed the combined adjustment would leave a preliminary shortfall of about $445,000 pending the commission's final decisions on mill levies and other line items. A motion to send the proposal to the statutorily required hearing passed on a roll call vote.

Commissioners discussed options to cover the gap, including phased market adjustments, using reserve funds for one-time infrastructure needs, and asking department heads to request higher-grade hires case-by-case. Chair (speaker 1) emphasized fiscal restraint during the discussion and said the commission would continue to refine numbers: "We can't deficit spend."