The Yuma County government has begun the new year with a new budget.
Yuma County’s General Fund expenditures have been set at $6.25 million in 2020, an increase of about $80,000 from last year. The General Fund includes all of the elected officials offices, as well as several other departments and services.
The Yuma County Jail is the biggest line item in the General Fund in 2020, set at $1.05 million, an increase of about $70,000 from last year.
Conversely, the Sheriff’s Office has decreased by about the same amount, set at $945,805 in 2020.
All other elected officials’ offices are staying consistent with recent years, some seeing a slight increase and some a slight decrease. The Commissioners’ budget is set at $614,814, an increase of $34,000 above 2019; the County Clerk & Recorder at $381,203, an increase of about $17,000; County Treasurer/Public Trustee at $237,099, an increase of about $11,000; County Assessor at $374,860, a decrease of about $6,000, and; Coroner at $66,646, an increase of $171.
The county has budgeted $150,000 for administrative services, $48,113 for GIS Mapping, $102,331 for elections, $403,740 for building maintenance, and $58,018 for the driver’s license office. It has budgeted $39,103 to emergency management. Elections has increased by nearly $30,000 from 2019 as 2020 is a presidential election year.
Yuma County provides financial support for many countywide and region-wide services. The county’s share to the District Attorney’s Office is $221,693, a slight increase from 2019. The county is continuing its recent level of support to the Northeast Colorado Health Department at $97,010. Emergency medical services has $46,500, less than half that was budgeted in 2019. The county’s share to the W-Y Combined Communications Center is $460,000, the same as last year.
Golden Plains Extension receives $227,136, Northeast Colorado Bookmobile Service $33,880, economic development $45,000, the Northeast Colorado Association of Local Governments $16,545, the Yuma County Landfill $112,475 and the Yuma County Water Authority $50,215. The county has budgeted $40,000 for the Northeast Colorado Transportation Authority.
The budget for the Yuma County Fair is set at $187,408, an increase by a few hundred dollars. There is an additional $82,240 for Yuma County Fair Maintenance.
Transfers to capital acquisition total $530,207 for a total General Fund Budget of $6.778 million, an overall increase of about $160,000.
Yuma County’s Road & Bridge Fund is set at $6.63 million, about $700,00 more than in 2019, with the increases coming in construction, $3.14 million, and in Special Projects, from $52,500 in 2019 to $300,000 in 2020. Road & Bridge is funded almost entirely through the Highway Users Tax, Specific Ownership Tax, and a mill levy specifically for Road & Bridge.
Human Services, which is almost entirely funded by the state passed through the county, has a budget of $3.267 million.
Recreation has $400,000 budgeted, $200,000 less than last year, and the Conservation Trust Fund is the same as in past years at $100,000.
Yuma County provides payroll clearing services for the east and west Yuma County cemetery districts, the Public Trustee, the revolving loan fund, the weed & pest control district, and economic development, so those payrolls go through the county budget.
There is $778,177 in the Grant Fund for grants for technology, court security, emergency medical services, as well as perspective grants.
The Yuma County Water Authority is run through the county budget, set at the usual $121,000.
Yuma County Landfill budget is $506,481, an increase of $95,000.
Victims assistance is set at $76,162. There is a grant for $51,000 for bullet proof vests, and a $41,700 grant for sheriff permits and fingerprint scans. Capital Acquisition total is $1.43 million.
There is $462,000 in Emergency Reserve.
Therefore, the total Yuma County Budget is $21.113 million, a decrease of $110,000 from 2019.
Among the planned capital projects for 2020 are the Eckley Road chip seal project for $479,084, and the Lone Star Road chip seal project for $118,153. Road and Bridge also has $1 million for general construction and equipment purchases. The Capital Acquisition Fund has $175,000 for the courthouse roof and maintenance shop repairs and updates.
The General Fund has $20,000 for courthouse facility updates, such as carpet and toilets, and $30,000 to EMA for equipment requests such as radios, batteries and laptops.
There is $275,000 in the Recreation Fund for fairgrounds and public space improvements, along with $350,000 in the Grant Fund for the GOCO beef barn grant at the fairgrounds. The landfill has $42,500 for pickup replacement, and $33,000 to purchase cover material.
Another $85,000 is in the Capital Acquisition Fund for the Sheriff’s Office and county fleet vehicle updates, plus $50,000 for Human Services security infrastructure updates.
