Board members and staff discussed how to budget for the second half of the EMS Station 1 project and whether contingency funds should remain in the general fund or be transferred to capital.

Alina, county finance staff, and project staff told commissioners that the 2026 proposed commission budget includes $15,657,825 in capital for EMS Station 1 plus $1,856,000 in debt service; the capital number includes a contingency of about $1.8 million tied to the project’s guaranteed maximum price (GMP). Wayne, the county project manager, said some recent small change orders (for example, a $5,000 change order) had been processed and that the contractor and county project team were working to use project contingency first.

Commissioners asked where COP (certificate of participation) proceeds and contingency funds are held and whether a proposed $1.8 million contingency would be transferred from the general fund to capital. County staff said the $1.8 million contingency is proposed to be budgeted in the capital fund (as part of the overall EMS Station 1 cost) but that the county would not move money to capital until it was needed. One commissioner asked whether budgeting half the contingency would be appropriate; the group agreed that it only matters if the contingency is expended.

Commissioners said they expect county project management and the county manager to fight to avoid spending the contingency and noted that a GMP should limit the need for contingency spending. Staff noted project contingency had been reduced from an earlier percentage (9% at start of project) to a smaller remaining amount as work progressed.

The commissioners also reviewed how COP proceeds, capital transfers and debt service would be scheduled; staff said a COP in the coming years would be used for multiple capital projects including the EMS station and partial road‑and‑bridge shop. Commissioners asked staff to return any budget transfers that were not required; staff said budgeted transfers will only be made if the funds are needed.