Board adopts $1.109 billion tentative budget; includes wage increases and new positions for fire rescue

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners approved a tentative FY2027 budget totaling $1,109,315,071 and agreed to a set of adjustments since the July recommended budget that together total $150,080,143. Management and Budget Director Jamie Stewart outlined the changes, which included updated fund balances and revenue projections, an updated infrastructure sales‑tax project list, capital project rebudgets ($35.7 million), purchase order carryforwards ($85.6 million) and grant award adjustments ($21.4 million).

“This also includes a $17 minimum wage and wage adjustments for compression,” Jamie Stewart said while presenting personnel and operating changes. The budget package includes two new fully loaded fire rescue positions — an EMS battalion chief and a coding and quality‑review specialist — with a combined impact of about $221,263, and $8.8 million earmarked for road resurfacing in FY2027 (including $3.6M from the general fund). The board voted 5‑0 to adopt the tentative budget and the adjustments.