{"id":19080,"date":"2025-10-13T13:30:41","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T19:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.elpasoco.com\/?p=19080"},"modified":"2025-10-13T16:29:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T22:29:35","slug":"el-paso-county-begins-2026-budget-process-with-presentation-of-preliminary-balanced-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elpasoco.com\/el-paso-county-begins-2026-budget-process-with-presentation-of-preliminary-balanced-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"El Paso County Begins 2026 Budget Process with Presentation of Preliminary Balanced Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Budget prioritizes fiscal responsibility, infrastructure, public safety, and taxpayer relief through TABOR refund and mill levy reduction<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]October 13, 2025\u00a0<\/strong>– The El Paso County Financial Services Department presented the 2026 Preliminary Balanced Budget. The $530.6 million budget reflects El Paso County\u2019s commitment to maintaining low taxes and delivering high-quality public services. Guided by the County\u2019s Strategic Plan, the 2026 budget emphasizes core priorities: Infrastructure, Service Quality, Community Trust, and Public Safety.<\/p>\n

Board Chair Commissioner Carrie Geitner emphasized the County\u2019s focus on fiscal responsibility and good governance, stating:<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to thank County Administrator Bret Waters, Chief Financial Officer Nikki Simmons, and their teams for their tremendous work. Their leadership and dedication help keep alignment with the priorities of this Board and the residents we serve. We remain focused on serving our community and investing in areas that make the greatest impact, especially improving our roads. While there is still work to do, we\u2019ve made measurable progress through data-driven decision-making and fiscal discipline. Thanks to years of conservative financial planning, El Paso County remains in a strong fiscal position. While we know some local jurisdictions and the state have announced cuts, we are not laying off or furloughing employees, and we continue to provide essential services without compromising the stability of our workforce. Good governance matters, and I\u2019m proud of the work being done to support El Paso County\u2019s long-term financial security. I encourage residents to stay engaged in the budget process and share their feedback as we move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chief Financial Officer Nikki Simmons underscored the County\u2019s long-standing commitment to sound financial management, adding:<\/p>\n

“Our conservative approach to budgeting has allowed El Paso County to remain financially strong, even during periods of economic uncertainty. By keeping our revenue projections realistic and carefully reviewing expenditures, we\u2019ve been able to preserve critical services, maintain healthy reserves, and keep staffing levels stable. The 2026 preliminary budget reflects that ongoing commitment to fiscal responsibility and stability by continuing to fund core priorities and aligning resources with the County\u2019s long-term strategic plan, without proposing any operational or personnel cuts.”<\/p>\n

The County follows a comprehensive, multi-year budgeting process that is both collaborative and transparent.\u00a0\u00a0This process positions the County to meet critical priorities, adapt to changing service demands, and stay responsive to evolving state laws.<\/p>\n

El Paso County remains committed to a conservative fiscal approach. The County maintains responsible revenue projections, actively seeks state, federal, and grant opportunities, and reviews expenditures to generate underspending where possible. Long-term objectives include maintaining sufficient operational and emergency reserves, funding ongoing personnel and operational needs, and addressing capital investments in facilities and infrastructure.<\/p>\n

For 2026, the County\u2019s total revenue budget is $501.8 million, a 0.26% increase over the 2025 adopted budget. Revenues come from sales and use taxes, property taxes, fees, charges for services, grants, and other sources.<\/p>\n

The 2026 budget also includes taxpayer relief measures. A TABOR refund of $4.48 million from 2024 excess revenues will be issued as a flat credit to residential property owners. In addition, the County adopted a temporary mill levy reduction of 1.374 mills to remain under the 2026 TABOR cap for property tax revenue. This reduction affects property tax collections for 2025, which are already among the lowest of Colorado\u2019s ten largest counties. Based on current projections, El Paso County expects to remain under the TABOR cap for both 2025 and 2026.<\/p>\n

The total 2026 expenditure budget is $530.6 million, representing a 0.45% increase over 2025. Through a collaborative process with departments and offices, the County focused on aligning resources with the Strategic Plan and funding one-time items primarily from operational savings.<\/p>\n

Key highlights from the 2026 budget include:<\/p>\n