BOISE, Idaho — Budget presentations to the Ada County Commissioners for Fiscal Year 2022 start on Monday. The annual process involves each of Ada County's departments and elected offices submitting anticipating revenues and expenses for their services in the coming fiscal year.
According to a news release, the budget as submitted is about $284 million. Public safety and judicial services are the largest portion of the budget, account for more than 62% and include the following:
- Sheriff's Office
- Emergency Medical Services
- Coroner's Office
- Juvenile Court Services
- Public Defender
- Prosecuting Attorney's Office
- Ada County Jail
- Drug Court
“Families, individuals and businesses live within their means and so will Ada County Government,” said Ada County Board of Commissioners Chairman Rod Beck. “We will focus on our constitutional obligations as we consider how to provide the best government services for the lowest cost, just like you would.”
The release says the most anticipated discussions will be about property taxes in Ada County. County Commissioners have the option to increase the property tax budget or keep the current funding levels.
“As we make tough and prudent decisions about how we allocate our resources we want to ensure that the level of service Ada County residents have come to expect is maintained,” said Ada County Commissioner Kendra Kenyon.
Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane is proposing an $8 million tax cut to Ada County Commissioners, as many residents received assessments showing steep increases in assessed values from the previous year.
“The county is in a good position to provide some tax relief for residents who are feeling the pain from sharp increases in property values. The county budgeted revenues conservatively last year because of the expected impact of COVID-19 on the economy. Since the local economy is performing better than expected, coupled with lean office and department budgets, we can make cuts to the property tax budget without sacrificing services,” said Clerk McGrane. “The Commissioners have been watching valuations and the impact on property taxes closely. This proposed budget should meet the goals of the county and taxpayers alike.
Another important decision to be discussed is the Ada County Capital Investment Program, which includes a focus on security infrastructure for the upcoming year. Other budget items include Extraordinary Operational Expenses and includes spending on items like IT infrastructure maintenance and redistricting.
Budget discussions will include possible cost of living and merit increases for the county's 2000 employees.
The budget presentations in the Ada County Courthouse Public Hearing Room are open to the public. The presentations will also be streamed live on YouTube. The public testimony part of the budget process is on June 16 at 4:30 p.m. in the first floor Public Hearing Room of the Ada County Courthouse.
