Benton County Budget Committee approves 2025-27 biennium budget

The Benton County Budget Committee closed a week of budget hearings on May 30 by approving the proposed 2025-27 budget with just four amendments. Financial Services staff are preparing the approved budget document for a final public hearing on June 17 before the Board of Commissioners. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the BOC will consider any further changes and adopt the 2025-27 budget.

The Budget Committee met on May 27, 29 and 30 to consider proposed biennium budgets for the County, the Library Services County Service District, and the 911 Emergency Services County Service District. The Library Services and 911 Services budgets were approved on May 27 with no amendments.

County administration and department heads presented detailed budgets to the Committee for the County’s 15 offices and departments, answering Committee members’ questions as they were raised. Following the final presentation, the Committee deliberated and created four amendments to the proposed County budget:

1. They established a $1 cost center within the General Fund – under Public Safety Operating Programs – to start saving for a new correctional facility. This action creates a new line item for a facility that is desperately needed to replace the inadequate County Jail.
2. They funded the budget line to continue the Sheriff’s Office work crew. Work crew is a public safety operating program that offers an alternative to incarceration through community service.
3. They increased the budget by $847,000 to support dedicated funds for the Behavioral Health Deflection program that was launched at the beginning of 2024. This program provides another alternative to incarceration specifically for people cited for drug possession.
4. They opted to maintain the current 2023-25 rate (3%) for deferred compensation for management and unrepresented employees.

In total, the approved budget was increased from $539,427,492 to $540,274,492 due to the $847,000 increase for the Behavioral Health Deflection Program. All other amendments were accomplished without increasing the total cost of the budget. Allocations were created by decreasing contingencies in multiple other funds to levels that still prudently mitigate budget risk.

Proposed budget documents, department presentations and recordings of all Budget Committee meetings are available for public viewing online at finance.bentoncountyor.gov/events/benton-county-budget-hearing-2025.

The Board of Commissioners will conduct a final public hearing on June 17 to consider and adopt the budget. They can make changes to the approved budget before adopting, but if they exceed 10% change per fund, another public notice and hearing will be required. The adopted budget will take effect on July 1.