Commissioners tell highway staff: county will remove highway insurance from highway budget

At the meeting, Chair (S7) told highway representatives the commission's working decision: the county will take the insurance out of the highway budget and find a way to fund group insurance outside of the restricted 1176 highway fund.

"We've decided to take the insurance out of the highway budget again," S7 said when highway staff arrived. Commissioners noted Baker Tilly's projection that the highway fund (1176) could be hundreds of thousands of dollars in the red by 2027 unless the insurance and some other items are reallocated. Highway staff described a newly available single-lane-mile distribution (roughly $450,000) and noted limits on restricted funds'they cannot pay wages or some operational items. Commissioners asked the highway team to return with a plan that reflects the reallocation and any necessary additional appropriations.