The draft 2025 Archuleta County budget was presented at a regular meeting held by the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) on Tuesday, Oct. 15, by Finance Director Chad Eaton.
Eaton began his presentation by giving a timeline of planned budget work sessions with the BoCC that are scheduled for Nov. 13-15.
The BoCC will approve the final budget and appropriate funds during a regular meeting on Dec. 17, Eaton explained to the board.
On Wednesday, when asked about approving the budget after the Dec. 15 statutory deadline, county staff reported the budget approval would be moved to Dec. 3.
At the Oct. 15 meeting, Eaton mentioned the forces driving the 2025 proposed budget include external influences, internal strategic considerations, and statutes and county policy.
According to Eaton’s presentation, the internal strategic considerations include the building of a new county administration building, attempts to maintain a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for staff, the public health department and continuing needs for road maintenance.
Eaton also noted that an overall 2 percent growth of core operations budgets are included in the 2025 proposed budget, which is down from previous years that included a 4 percent growth.
“This year we cut it down to a minimum of 2 percent,” he said.
Total revenues listed for 2025 are at $50,030,819.92 and total expenditures are listed at $53,319,800.74, according to Eaton’s presentation.
This includes a revenue of $29,514,113.19 in the general fund, and expenditures of $29,466,545.63.
Road and Bridge is listed to have a total $7,910,10.32 in revenues with $11,688,653.14 in expenditures.
The Department of Human Services is listed to have a total of $3,724,459 in revenues with $2,509,654.06 in expenditures.
The Public Health Department has $1,208,159 in revenues with $1,185,201.76 in expenditures.
The 1A fund has no revenues listed, with $1,500 listed in expenditures.
The Archuleta County Combined Dispatch fund has $1,581,002.71 listed in revenues and $1,495,732.61 in expenditures.
The Conservation Trust Fund is listed to have $175,000 in revenues and $160,600 in expenditures.
The Justice System Capital has $800,000 listed for revenues and no expenditures listed.
The Solid Waste fund has $2,252,050 in revenues with $2,940,505.79 in expenditures.
The Airport fund has $945,544 in revenue and $1,019,984.14 in expenditures, and Fleet Management has $1,920,389 in revenues with $2,851,432.61 in expenditures.
Eaton also highlighted the 2025 expenses by major type, noting that in 2024 personnel costs were listed at $18,199,702.11 and in 2025 it is listed at $19,158,606.90, or a 5 percent increase.
A 19 percent decrease in materials and services is proposed, with 2024 showing $19,616,662.94 and 2025 showing $15,538,775.16.
Eaton noted the total expense across all funds in 2024 was listed at $55,656,796.05, and for 2025 that is listed at $53,319,800.72 — a 4 percent decrease.
“A lot of this falls in materials and services due to the pass-through funds,” Eaton commented.
Overall revenues for 2025 compared to 2024 reflect a 2 percent decrease, or a decrease of $1,216,997.27, going from $51,247,817.19 to $50,030,819.92.
This includes a 78 percent increase in the Airport funds revenues going from $532,479 in 2024 to $945,544.
“So, we are looking at some capital projects that will be coming through that will increase that by $413,000,” Eaton said.
Eaton’s 2025 proposed budget presentation can be viewed online at https://www.archuletacounty.org/212/Budgets. The proposed budget can also be found at the Archuleta County Clerk and Recorder’s Office at 449 San Juan St.
