Garfield County is expecting a $9 million budget shortfall in 2026.
To address the deficit, county commissioners approved a resolution Monday to implement a temporary hiring freeze for county administrative staff.
The resolution stated this decision will “exercise fiscal responsibility in the face of budgetary constraints and economic uncertainty.”
Bob Prendergast, the finance administrator for Garfield County, said during Monday’s meeting that a reduction in property tax revenue due to a decline in oil and gas prices and production is one reason for the budget shortfall.
“We’re in a volatile economy here as an oil and gas commodity,” he said. “That’s not a surprise, but we're in a dip here, pretty significantly.”
Other factors include high inflation rates, staff salary and insurance increases, large capital projects and discretionary funding for organizations, such as the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority and animal control.
Staff insurance will increase 13% in 2026, or almost $1.6 million. Capital projects are projected to cost about $15 million.
A temporary hiring freeze, according to Commissioner Tom Jankovsky, will ensure staff retention.
“This is more or less a protection for our existing employees,” said Jankovsky. “So they’ll know that not only their jobs are secure, but we will have a merit increase in that as well.”
Merit increases include compensation to accommodate cost-of-living hikes.
Commissioners are also looking to cut $4.5 million from capital and grant allocations. The other half will come from the county’s operating budget.
“When revenues go down, we have to make these kinds of decisions,” said Commissioner Perry Will.
Individual department budgets are due Aug. 8, which includes operating and capital expenditures, revenues and payroll projections.
These reports will provide county financial staff a better idea of where other cuts can be made.
“We are serious about this $9 million shortfall,” Jankovsky said. “And we will address that as a board.”
