09/28/2005: "BOCC Starts Work On ‘06' Budget"

Coming from a recent history of stating the County simply cannot provide all the services that everyone wants, The BOCC received a presentation on Tuesday from Auditor Si Stephens on the 2006 budget, and were told what they already knew, that the:
"BOCC, elected officials, department heads, the public, employees all need to understand San Juan County cannot afford to do everything we would like to do in the manner we would like to do it". The problem is the same as last year, and the year before that: there is not enough money coming into the County treasury."

There are some services that are required by law to be provided -and there is no escaping these- and there are those expenses that the County is locked into as a result of contractual obligations, such as the County payroll-benefits and the Cost of Living increases (the so-called "bow wave") that may reach, or exceed, $600,000 this year. Then there are the yearly capital costs, the new equipment that departments want/need (such as three new dump trucks, and three new cars, etc, for $583,761.00), and of course the maintenance costs.

And there are the costs of real estate purchase, and improvements, and proposed projects. In the Roads Capital section of the presentation, there is $1,500,000.00 for the LaFarge Barge landing, but nothing for capital improvements and maintenance of the land if it is purchased.

The quick solution in the past has been to transfer money from one department to another; and to also raise fees. There have been concerns expressed that moving funds from the so-called Capron funds may jeopardize receiving these funds in the future, but that has been the policy in the past, and may well be one of the final actions taken again this year. The past BOCC has warned that If the County should lose the Capron funds, the County will be in a budget hole they may not be able to get out of.

There will more work on the budget work in October, and a public hearing on November 15