Teller County proposes $44.2 million budget, keeps property tax rate flat

Teller County’s proposed 2027 budget projects $44.19 million in revenue, keeps the property-tax mill levy at its current rate and increases operations spending by 1.7%. The proposal also plans to use reserves and fund balances to cover appropriations above projected revenue.

Revenue is about $1.02 million below the adopted 2026 budget’s $45.20 million. The finance director presented the figures to commissioners Oct. 8 and said the proposal includes employee pay increases and budgets for an estimated 8% rise in health-care costs. The director said the operations increase accounts for state budget cuts affecting Human Services and Public Health. The presentation and commissioners’ discussion did not quantify those cuts.

The county expects to end 2027 with about $5 million in operating reserves, which the finance director described as roughly 42 days of coverage, plus two additional reserves of about $750,000 each. The director said those additional funds bring the county to a 60-day reserve benchmark cited by the Government Finance Officers Association.

The finance director said appropriations exceed projected revenue partly because the budget covers multiple funds, including capital projects, and assumes 2026 spending will come in below its adopted budget, leaving balances available. That is a projection, not a final accounting of 2026 spending. The county does not expect to need short-term borrowing, the director said. Moving from rented space to the county-owned Central Service Center would also free former lease funds for operations such as information technology and building maintenance.

On Oct. 8, commissioners voted to accept the presentation, not to adopt the budget. A public-comment session is scheduled for Oct. 22, with adoption and appropriations set for Dec. 10; the appropriations would take effect Jan. 1, 2027. The commissioners’ meeting calendar listed the Oct. 22 meeting as upcoming as of Oct. 10.