Money talks — Commissioners grapple with budget issues and concerns
Over its past several meetings, the Board of Weston County Commissioners has had to have a number of hard conversations about money as specific line items become overdrawn — or draw near to that mark. Between the struggles to stay within the current budget and questions over the upcoming budget, the board has shared concerns over what Weston County may be able to afford in the coming years.
Detention employees
After several meetings with Sheriff Bryan Colvard and Undersheriff Dan Fields, the board voted on March 18 to allow Colvard to raise the pay for detention employees in the hopes of garnering interest in open positions.
Colvard told the board that the department would decrease the staff by one by not filling a currently open position, and suggested the department could then divide that salary from the unfilled job among the current employees.
The county had seven detention officer positions in the budget and Colvard proposed to reduce the number to six. Even with the eliminated position, that part of his department would be understaffed, as the department presently has four detention officers, with one planning to leave.
Before March 18, the board had discussed several options to attract detention staff, including potential sign-on bonuses. It was determined that the best route would be increasing the wages, but the problem Colvard ran into, he said, was that his budget did not include the benefit costs associated with the increase in wages.
According to Chairman Nathan Todd, the increase in benefits would cost the county between $15,000 and $20,000 per year, which means that $5,000 should cover the costs for the remainder of the current fiscal year that ends on June 30. He said that the money is likely there to cover those costs for that amount of time, but the problem is next year and how the county will continue to pay the increased wages and benefits.
After the discussion, Commissioner Vera Huber voted to take $5,000 out of American Rescue Plan funds to put in the benefits line item to cover the difference in benefit costs for the salary increases.
Overdrawn line items
In addition to tackling changes to the budget to accommodate a salary increase for the detention staff, the commissioners have also had to address line items in the budget that are already overdrawn or close to it.
On March 18, newly appointed Clerk of District Court Riki Kaiser discussed with the board the need to increase her budget for both jury trials and special attorneys. She noted that both line items are on track to be in the hole before the year is over on June 30.
The attorney costs, according to Kaiser, are increasing because of
an increase in abuse and neglect cases. She said that predicting the number the county will see in a year is difficult.
“It was $25,000 in 2016, and now $100,000 is not enough,” Kaiser said.
With no way to predict the exact need for the rest of the year, the board directed Kaiser to come up with some numbers to get to Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock for future consideration.
The jail’s medical budget is also overdrawn.
“The sheriff’s jail medical is over 300% over; however, the jail budget as a whole is not over budget,” Colvard told the News Letter Journal. “Jail medical is for medical concerns or treatment that arise during a person’s incarceration at the detention facility. That includes any ER visits, clinic visits, dental, etc.”
He noted that it also covers over-the-counter medication, including aspirin and Tylenol.
“To date, we have spent $9,064.83 for jail medical. I cannot refuse someone medical care if it is reasonable or emergent for obvious reasons,” Colvard said. “With that said, that line item (jail medical) is in the hole $7,064.”
Historically, Colvard said, the county had budgeted $20,000 for medical expenses, but over the past three budget cycles, the funds had not been spent. He noted that the county was spending closer to $10,000 in those years, and the budget was eventually cut to reflect that.
“In FY 2022-2023, it was reduced to $7,500. In the FY 2023-2024 budget, it remained at $7,500. In the FY 2024-2025, it was reduced to $2,000,” Colvard said. “It was discussed that I have no way to forecast what is going to be required in the line item from year to year. I can only look in the past budgets and use the data to get a ballpark.”
Todd also told the News Letter Journal that this practice is common in the budget process because it is hard to predict exactly what will be spent in different areas.
Colvard continued that he agreed to the $2,000 budget with the commissioners, knowing he may have to come back for a budget amendment.
Commissioner Ed Wagoner said on several occasions that these line items, jail medical and special attorneys, are unfunded mandates passed down from the state. These items, he said, affect counties like Weston as a whole.
Looking forward
With property tax relief approved and cuts to the county’s revenue inevitable, Todd told the News Letter Journal that it is nearly impossible to accurately predict what the impact will be for Weston County.
When asked what property tax relief will do to the county budget, Todd said that without the local assessed valuation set and the cuts applied, county officials cannot be sure what will happen.
“Our only hope is that the state-assessed value is up,” he said, noting this includes mineral production and utilities. “I think we will know more in a month.”
His assumption, he said, is that the county will be impacted by a decrease in property taxes. He noted that about 400 people have already turned in documents for the long-term homeowner’s exemption.
“That is more than I thought would be doing it,” Todd said. “It is going to be interesting what we are looking at.”
When it comes to preparing for the upcoming budget, Todd said the county will likely tell departments to anticipate the worst and look for 10% cuts where they can. He said that has not been officially communicated yet, but it has been hinted at.
“I think that conversation is going to happen in the near future. To try and hone in on where you can save,” Todd said.
The problem he sees is that the departments have been asked to make cuts for the past two to three years.
“I am worried that a lot of these departments, what they are getting, I don’t think there is a lot of fat anymore,” Todd said. “We might be able to find a little bit, but it might be hard to find.”
And when they find that potential fat, Todd said, the question then becomes what impact does cutting those funds have on the community and the department. He said it is a lot of weighing and balancing things, asking if they take things away what the collateral effect will be.
“It is going to be a tough budget year. I don’t want to harm any departments, so I am really, really hoping the state-assessed comes in higher,” Todd said.
He noted that when people ask what the county can do, the answer is “not much.”
“It is pretty hard to go out and try to raise money as a government entity,” Todd said.
But the county budget will not be the only budget affected in a worst-case scenario, he said. The impact will be felt across the municipalities, local districts and schools.
“We just have to hold our breath and see if it turns out okay,” Todd said.
Commission clips
Notes from the March 18, 2025, meeting of the Weston County Commissioners
The board approved Resolution 2025-5, an amendment to the budget, moving $1,042.77 out of general finance administration to the Weston County Treasurer’s line item for miles, travel and conventions. The money replaced funds spent by the treasurer’s office for Deputy Treasurer Kim Jenkins to attend a grant-writing class. Commissioner Marty Ertman voted against the motion.
Paul Stille, of Leo Riley and Co., presented the annual audit report to the board.
Dru Bower, of Dru Consulting, provided updates to the Newcastle Bureau of Land Management, Thunder Basin National Grasslands and the Black Hills National Forest.
The board voted to have the county employees pay the full insurance increase for Blue Cross Blue Shield. Increases this year were 3%, according to Clerk Becky Hadlock.
The board discussed employee handbooks and other issues with members of the Weston County Fair Board.
The board chose a performance evaluation for county employees.
The board discussed terms of a public records fee schedule. Attorney Michael Stulken was asked to draft a resolution for approval.