Mesa County announced it is moving forward with several organizational and financial changes as it develops its draft 2027 budget and looks to close a projected $12.5 million gap between requested expenses and available revenue.

On Sept. 2, Mesa County Administrator Todd Hollenbeck provided county employees with an update on the 2027 budget process, and the county then released that same information to the public in a news release.

Since March, according to the news release, the county has used priority-based budgeting to review programs based on legal requirements, community reach and cost and value to residents. The review identified approximately $4 million in lower-priority programs, efficiencies and other potential reductions. Additional changes must be made to align ongoing expenses with available revenue.

The news release said Mesa County expects to return approximately $5.4 million to taxpayers in 2026 as required by Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). Public polling conducted this year showed continued support for keeping the current TABOR obligation. The county will continue to operate within those requirements while monitoring the financial effects.

Recent sales-tax and use-tax collections have performed slightly better than budgeted. Through June, sales-tax collections were approximately 0.7 percent above budget, and use tax was 9 percent above budget, and revenues from the two taxes were 1.4 percent above budget.

Personnel costs are the largest part of the county’s operating expenses, and the news release said department leaders are “carefully evaluating vacancies, position needs, staffing levels and organizational structures as part of this process.”

The county’s priority is to retain employees where possible and to reduce the impact on filled positions through vacancy management and organizational restructuring.

Current cost-cutting strategies being considered by the county include:

• Eliminating vacant positions that are no longer operationally necessary.
• Reviewing positions that have been vacant for six months or more.
• Considering the sale of Mesa County property no longer needed.
• Consolidating certain financial functions.
• Rebuilding the general-fund balance.
• Possibly forgoing raises in 2027.

“These decisions are intended to position Mesa County for long-term stability rather than simply balance a single year’s budget,” Hollenbeck said. “Our goal is to create an organization that can continue providing high-quality services while operating within the resources available to us.”

According to the news release, some finance positions across the county are being consolidated into a countywide finance team to create “greater staffing depth, shared expertise, backup coverage, consistent processes and the ability to direct resources where they are most needed.”

The budget remains under development and will go through the county’s public budget process before adoption. Mesa County will provide another update when the proposed 2027 budget is presented at an Oct. 6 public hearing.