Roosevelt officials approve preliminary budget

A preliminary budget that the Roosevelt County Commission approved on Tuesday projects revenues in all accounts of $18.3 million, expenses of $21.4 million, and a balance of $18.1 million at the end of fiscal 2024 on June 30, 2024, county manager Amber Hamilton told the commission.

The balance includes the effects of $8.7 million cash on hand to begin the fiscal year on July 1, and $12.4 million in investments to offset the amount of expenses over revenues, according to budget documents. When nearly $3 million is set aside for reserves at the end of fiscal 2024, the adjusted balance is expected to be about $15.2 million, according to documents.

Hamilton explained that payroll expense increases account for much of the increase in expenses noted in the budget, including a 26% increase in the county’s share of worker’s compensation insurance due to the end of 25% discounts provided by the state’s workers compensation insurance board. The discounts were covered by now discontinued COVID-19 funds, Hamilton said.

Hamilton said wage and salary costs are set to climb to $6.8 million as vacancies in the county’s detention center and sheriff’s department have been filled.

There were some unknowns in the preliminary budget due to matters under negotiation between the city of Portales and the county on compensation for juvenile detainees housed in the county’s detention center and arrangements for emergency communications in the city and county, Hamilton said.

The New Mexico Department of Finance Administration (DFA) will review the preliminary budget before the county commission adopts a final budget. The DFA’s deadline for the final budget is July 30, Hamilton said.

The commission on Tuesday also:

• Approved the purchase of a defibrillator unit for the Arch Volunteer Fire Department for $31,267.04, to be paid in five annual payments, from Stryker Medical, based in Chicago..

• Approved the purchase of a Ford F250 Crew Cab to be the command vehicle for the Milnesand Volunteer Fire Department for $67,352 from Chalmer’s Ford, Albuquerque, under a state pricing agreement.

• Approved awarding an agreement for comprehensive detainee medical, mental and ancillary healthcare services for detention center inmates to Roadrunner Health Services, LLC. The commission also voted to allow county officials to negotiate the final contract with Roadrunner before final approval.

• Agreed to protest a “surprise” bill from the state General Services Department for $209,000 to cover costs related to employee benefits for the current fiscal year and fiscal year 2024. Hamilton said the bill, similar to bills sent to many other New Mexico local governments, apparently compensates the General Services Department for costs that they failed to place into the state budget. County Commissioner Rod Savage said a state agency’s “failure to plan should not cause an emergency on our part.” Commissioners agreed that the county should protest to General Services and the state auditor’s office, as the state Municipal League and Association of Counties already intend to, as Hamilton reported.

• Heard County Clerk Mandi Park report deadlines for ballot positions and candidate filings for the November elections for local offices, including municipal officers in Causey, Dora and Floyd, as well as soil and water conservation districts, Roosevelt General Hospital and school districts.

The entities must submit ballot positions and tax and bond questions between June 10 and July 10, she said. And candidate filing day will be Aug. 9. The cities of Elida and Portales have until June 30 to file that they will join in the November elections. Otherwise they will continue to operate their own elections. Commissioner Dennis Lopez asked whether Elida and Portales might save “tens of thousands of dollars” by joining other communities who will have elections in November. Park said that if they joined the November ballot, their election costs would be covered by the state and county.

• Heard Roosevelt County Cooperative Extension Agent Ryan Craig report that 4H membership had increased to 180 in 2023, catching up to pre-COVID membership of 240. He also reported that the extension service, a part of New Mexico State University, is looking for more opportunities for cooperation with Eastern New Mexico University in Portales to improve agriculture in the county.