At a Dec. 10, 2025, meeting, the San Juan Water Conservancy District (SJWCD) approved its budget for 2026 and set mill levies.
The board previously discussed the budget at several meetings in the fall of 2025, as reported in The SUN.
Prior to discussing the budget, the board invited public comments on the budget, but no comments were made.
SJWCD treasurer Joe Tedder reported to the board on the budget, explaining that the only changes to the budget since the board presented a draft version for public comments were minor revisions to the amount of property tax income, driven by the Archuleta County assessor providing updated numbers, and an increase in the amount budgeted for the district’s insurance due to rising costs.
Tedder stated that the budget was otherwise the same as previously discussed versions.
He indicated that the board would have to vote on a resolution to adopt the 2026 budget.
SJWCD president Candace Jones added that this resolution would also include setting mill levies for the district and appropriating funds consistent with the budget.
The board unanimously voted to approve the budget.
The 2026 budget predicts $173,694 in revenues for the district, up from an estimated $168,016 in 2025, and includes $349,315 in total expenditures, up from an estimated $254,267 in 2025.
Among these expenditures are $142,000 in spending for engineering work on the district’s reservoir project at Running Iron Ranch and $125,000 budgeted for ongoing litigation with the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) over PAWSD’s efforts to sell the Running Iron Ranch.
The case is currently scheduled to go to trial in May.
As discussed at previous SJWCD meetings, the district’s engineering work is intended to help the district move forward on its reservoir project and to prepare the district to apply for grant funding for reservoir engineering and construction.
With the 2026 budget, the district’s fund balance in its accounts will fall from an estimated $269,905 at the end of 2025 to $94,284 at the end of 2026.
The budget resolution also set mill levies for the district at 0.316 mills, which the resolution notes is sufficient to raise $149,294 in tax revenues.
It also indicates that the total valuation of property in the district is $472,448,360.
josh@pagosasun.com
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