The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
By Katherine Nettles
Budget work session
Gunnison County commissioners this week dug into the details of the county’s 2024 budget on Tuesday, November 14 with a full-day work session of proposed budget presentations from individual departments including the sheriff, community and economic development and public works departments. Commissioners held an initial budget discussion in October as departments came up with their first draft proposals. County finance director Perry Solheim provided an overview for the process, and noted some recalibration was needed in predicting revenues, particularly for the community development department for which the county overestimated expected revenue in 2023.
There were also budget talks with the Gunnison-Crested Butte Airport, Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority and several service-based organizations, from the Gunnison Country Food Pantry to the Gunnison Valley Animal Welfare League and several others, since Gunnison County contributes to their funds as well.
Solheim and county manager Matthew Birnie also presented a general fund budget and capital expenditures budget. Commissioners will hold a public hearing on an evening in early December, and the final budget must be approved by December 15.
A current draft of the 2024 budget can be found at https://gunnisoncounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/13567/2024-Proposed-Budget-Draft–2, and a third draft will be forthcoming prior to a public hearing as final numbers are adjusted.
