County Budget Shortfall

[Jingles]

Yes original topic about budget shortfalls,and yes there is a limited number of households that contribute to the overall revenue for the county and maybe, just maybe the county needs to step back and look at what expenditures can be cut back, reduced or totally eliminated to offset the shortfalls, regardless of political affiliation seems all levels of government can't grasp the concept of No wasteful spending and if some programs get hurt by cutting so be it, better to hurt a little now than be fatal later.
One example is quit funding NGO's and non profits that get both tax money and funds from customers.
Even though some might not like the idea maybe the county needs their own DOGE.
And yes I might not of lived here as long as some but when I moved here it was because of the way the valley was and did not bring the things ideas of where I moved from and try to change the valley to what it has become an over priced unfriendly don't even know your neighbor dog eat dog yuppie dump with the feeling that everyone is entitled to everything they want unless either the government or some organization/ charity pay fore it just so they don't have to.

[just-jim]

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Vern can always be counted on to go on some red-neck rant about new-comers….as if he’d actually lived here a long time. Or made a full time living here. You and I each have a dozen or more years on him, Pearl.

Thanks for posting this…..I was thinking about what appears to be $6+ million hole in County finances.
What does it mean in a County with just 44,000 residents?

I looked it up - there are about 55,000 tax parcels in the County. Deduct those that are in public ownership….and those of old/disabled folks who dont pay full rates….maybe 35-40,000 parcels to shoulder that increase?

So - on top of property taxes that are likely to increase - for me - a couple hundred $$s just for inflation (thanks Republicans)…another $150++ can be added to my bill to fund this shortfall

Winning are we, MAGA?
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[PAL]

Sorry I brought up the plowing. Geez, this post is not really about that. It is the short fall, Jingles, Mr. smarty pants.

[Jingles]

Well you live in and or moved to snow country so guess if you can't stand the heat maybe you need to get out of the kitchen. (Valley) Maybe the dumb azzed transplants will leave the valley and it will return where common sense prevails Everyone says they are pro XC sking break out your ski's get em waxed and live with it.
Plus it'll show why you need 4 x 4 drive vehicles.
Guess it'll be interesting if we in fact have a la Nina winter like forecasters are predicting.
Personally I'd like to see 3 consecutive winters like 96/97 where we had 3 feet of snow dumped on us in 24 hrs, during Christmas break, be a whole lot of wannabes moving out

[pasayten]

Guess I will be also plowing a path to town for errands after I finish my driveway….

[PAL]

This is what you get when you have a Republican dominated commission and also Congress. They darn well better not touch property taxes.
Oh, maybe cut back on snow plowing to once a week. Or put plows on the school buses.

The commissioners and the Finance Committee (Pam Johnson, County Treasurer, Cari Hall, County Auditor and Lisa Schreckengost, Finance Manager) discuss the Road Fund budget for 2026. Revenue from the gas tax, PILT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) and SRS (Secure Rural Schools) is relatively flat, but expenses have risen steeply, so the 2026 county budget faces a $2,500,000 shortfall. Commissioner Hover proposes several possible ways to deal with the shortfall.
o Cut services by quite a bit. This would include layoffs.
o Use money from the Current Expense Reserve and the LATCF (Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund) to cover most of the shortfall in 2026 and ask voters to approve a levy lid lift that would begin in 2027.
• Commissioner Hover makes it clear that they’re trying to fix the shortfall as best they can, but it will involve service cuts. People can’t afford to pay the property tax it would take to do what they’re doing. He plans to hold a public meeting at a large venue in the evening to explain the situation to the public. The date has not been set.
• During County Engineer Josh Thomson’s weekly update, the commissioners learn via email that that the SRS funding bill will probably not be voted on by Congress due to lack of support. Not receiving the SRS funds in 2025 and 2026 will bring the Roads Fund shortfall up to $4,000,000.