County Unveils Preliminary 2024-25 Budget
 | Author:
Linda Kent, MT43 News Staff Reporter
MT43 News Correspondent |
Linda Kent
MT43 News Staff Reporter
Broadwater County Chief Administrative Officer Bill Jarocki presented the county’s preliminary 2024-2025 budget in a public hearing held on June 3. Commissioners will hear the Solid Waste Department budget separately on June 5. Commissioners will receive the county’s final 2024-25 budget on June 20.
The $12.4 million expenditure projection would be an increase of approximately 5.4 percent or $670,000 over the previous year. Preliminary revenue projections were placed at $11.7 million. That number is nearly the same as the revenue budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year, which ends June 30. The revenue number is about $3.5 million less than the county has brought in this fiscal year.
The initial expense figure includes a 3.5 percent cost of living adjustment in salaries for county staff, along with anticipated increases in benefit programs for employees. Commissioners asked Jarocki to budget for 3.5 percent, rather than the 2.5 percent the county’s compensation committee recommended for positions with salaries not tied to a collective bargaining agreement.
Expenses for the coming fiscal year should remain much the same, outside of salaries and benefits, department heads told the commissioners. Some exceptions included:
• Sheriff Nick Rauser told the commission he was looking to hire an additional deputy to provide more coverage for the southern end of Broadwater County as well as to begin the year-long process of purchasing and equipping a new cruiser to replace an existing vehicle.
• Extension Agent Allison Kosto told the commission that her department needs at least part-time administrative help to handle the requirements of the extension office. How that need will be addressed remains undecided.
• Clerk and Recorder Angie Paulsen is looking at purchasing a centralized election machine to replace the seven currently used at the county’s polling places. She told commissioners that the switch would reduce training for election judges as well as concerns about transporting and opening polls. The centralized machine would also improve her office’s ability to meet vote count reporting deadlines.
Not included in the preliminary numbers are revenues and expenses related to the Wheatland Targeted Economic Development District (TEDD) in southern Broadwater County. A potential Southern Emergency Resource Center for the south end of the county was also not included, along with the potential addition of a parks department to the county.
Jarocki opened the meeting with a presentation on a new, spreadsheet-based tool he developed to help department heads and the commission more easily manage their budgets and expenses. The tool will also help department heads track revenue and expense timing throughout the year to aid in future budgeting and fiscal management.
