Earlier this week, Montrose County Manager Jon Waschbusch presented the 2023 proposed budget during a special meeting of the Board of County Commissioners. The presentation of the proposed budget comes after months of reviewing fund models, capital plans and decision packages for new or expanded programs. The annual budget is developed in collaboration with the elected officials and staff of the entire county organization and serves as the first complete draft budget for the board to review.
"We are well-positioned to deliver results. The 2023 budget illustrates years of diligent financial and capital planning which has put Montrose County is a position to execute large scale projects at the airport, courthouse and jail. Additionally the county is also taking decisive action to invest in and retain one of our greatest assets—county employees," said Waschbusch. "The county continues to remain in strong financial condition across all funds due to our dedication to long range modeling. This practice is critical as it allows the county to test the potential long-term impacts of current financial decisions in order to maintain fund balance goals."
"A lot of work goes into the presentation of the budget and I'm grateful to our staff for their hard work," said Board Chair Keith Caddy. "Assembling, analyzing, and ultimately approving the budget is one of the most important pieces of county government. I look forward to reviewing budget packages over the next month and making sure the county is prepared for the future."
Total revenues for 2023 are projected at $91,499,601. Total expenditures are projected at $112,192,482 not including transfers out to other funds. The total proposed county budget is $108.3 million for total sources and $129 million for total uses. The increases in expenditures are due to large capital projects including the ongoing airport terminal expansion, courthouse renovation and jail renovation. The decrease in sources is due primarily to a reduction in federal revenues and project financing related to the airport. The 2023 budget does not propose any debt issuance.
The 2023 ending balance for all funds is projected at $61.9 million, which is a reduction of approximately $20.7 million from the previous year. This reduction is primarily due to planned capital expenditures for which the county has planned and saved over the past several years.
The proposed budget presentation may be found here and the video from the meeting is available here. The public is encouraged to comment and ask questions regarding the county's proposed budget. The next step in the annual budget process is further review by the Board of County Commissioners, county manager, and finance staff through meetings with department heads and elected officials. Additional changes to the budget will be incorporated and presented as part of the final budget. In December, the Board of County Commissioners will host a public budget hearing to formally consider the budget for adoption and certify the mill levies per state statute.
To reach out to the commissioners regarding the budget, please contact your commissioner here or call 970-249-7755.