County Budget Finalized

The 2024-25 Powder River County budget was finalized, with the entire county budget going down due to completion of large ticket items such as the Little Powder Bridge.

One major point to note is federal funding providing a 1 million dollar windfall for the county, through ARPA funding, a stimulus bill passed in 2021. Those funds have been set to be used for some major upgrades, such as an updated 911 system called “Central Square”, which is funded for $150,000. That system is a significant upgrade from the current system, and will allow features such as electronic ticket writing and enhanced cross jurisdiction cooperation.

New self-contained breathing (SCBA) systems for the volunteer fire department will be purchased, with a budget of $200,000, though further grant opportunities may pay for these systems without the use of all the budgeted ARPA funding. The current SCBA systems are outdated and not able to be serviced.

Upgrades to county facilities are also in order, including updates to the crow’s nest, back pens, sound and lighting at the county roping arena to the tune of $250,000. Updates to the multi-purpose building will include new flooring and other upgrades, with $125,000 of the ARPA funds budgeted for that project. A splash pad at the pool is budgeted at $50,000, at the location of the old kiddie pool. Security cameras for county facilities are also expected to be upgraded.

Along with the 10% raise for elected officials voted in at the compensation board this summer, county employees will received a $1 an hour raise in the coming fiscal year.

A large number of projects are set to take place at the nursing home, including revamping of flooring and bathrooms.

The county weed department is set to receive building upgrades, a side-by-side, and a drone for weed use.

The county road department is now set to receive a new blade for the county roads.

When looking at the accompanying budget sheet, an item of note is that many departments show an increase in budget which can be attributed to the increased cost of health insurance. The county is currently paying $16,500 per year per employee, up over 18% from last year.

In speaking with the commissioners during the preliminary budget meeting, an overall goal is to improve county infrastructure while grant money from the feds and state is available, as many of those funds are expected to dry up in coming years, and the county will be back to tightening its belt and making do with what we have.

When looking at the accompanying chart, there are a few particular items of note. The FLAP fund is federal dollars for road construction, and deals with the Belle Creek road – an ongoing project since 2016 that is finally set to be underway in 2025 after the project was delayed, with 4 project managers coming and going over 6 years.

The Bridge Renovation (including the Little Powder Bridge) is near completion, hence the drop in budget for that project goes off the books.

The 2.2 million for the airport hangar is FAA funds for the major hangar construction project at the airport. The county will pay around $65,000 of that 2.2 million.

Here's a look at the budget:

https://www.powderriverexaminer.com/home/customer_files/specialpubs/county_budget_24-25.jpg