GT County Commissioners Eye 2025 Budget, Including New Positions & Projects

Grand Traverse County commissioners are nearing approval of a 2025 budget, with the board hearing a presentation from staff this week and asking to see two new positions included when the budget comes for a vote on December 4, including a treatment court coordinator for the District Court and a jail discharge planning officer for the Sheriff’s Office. The proposed $50.8 million general fund budget includes nearly $4 million in capital improvement, repair, and maintenance projects next year – ranging from replacing the Civic Center irrigation system to making Governmental Center repairs to adding a new bathroom and kayak kiosk at Camp Greilick.

Staff presented a preview of the 2025 budget Wednesday, which is required by law to be a balanced budget. County Administrator Nate Alger said no fund balance was used to balance the budget this year, with county services actually set to expand in 2025. The general fund budget increased roughly $3 million from last year, from $47.8 million to $50.8 million. The county’s total finances – which encompass not just the general fund but the courts, health department, Central Dispatch, and many other funds – will top $114 million for 2025.

The proposed budget includes a $3.9 million debt service payment for the county’s pension bonds, as well as an additional payment to pension provider MERS of almost $800,000. Other expenses include cost-of-living adjustments for employees and a $300,000 payment for Other Post Retirement Benefits (healthcare and other benefits retirees receive besides pensions). Grand Traverse County has a current fund balance of almost 45 percent, or $21.51 million. County policy states that after 30 percent, excess funds will be split between the county's budget stabilization fund, pension stabilization fund, and capital improvement fund. However, the budget stabilization fund has already hit its $1.25 million cap, so the excess $7.1 million the county has in its fund balance now will be split between the capital improvement fund and pension stabilization fund, with both set to receive over $3.5 million.

Several departments requested new positions be added this year, though Alger initially didn’t recommend funding those in the budget. However, after extensive discussion Wednesday, commissioners expressed interest in possibly creating two of those positions: a jail discharge planning officer and a treatment court coordinator. Of the latter position, Commissioner TJ Andrews said: “My feeling is that’s a position that adds real value in our community, and I would like to see it squeezed into the budget somehow.”

Since the Sheriff’s Office has several corrections officer positions that have remained vacant for an extensive period, Andrews made a motion that one of those positions be eliminated in the county’s staffing plan and replaced with a new jail discharge planning officer in the 2025 budget. The motion also directed Alger to work with the courts to see if a similar staffing decrease could occur to create room for a new treatment court coordinator, though Alger cautioned the courts have taken the position that all their existing positions need to be fully funded. However, he said it could be possible to find other funding sources to cover the position without increasing the county’s overall budget. Commissioners approved the motion 6-1 (with Chair Rob Hentschel opposed and Commissioners Brian McAllister and Brad Jewett absent). Commissioners will still need to approve the staffing plan along with the final budget at their December meeting in order for the positions to be created.

On the heels of a ransomware attack this summer – and Traverse City commissioners’ vote earlier this week to separate city and county IT services – county staff also included highlights in the budget presentation on technology planning. The county is investing approximately $3.7 million to overhaul the county’s software technology as part of a contract with software vendor Workday, with the 2024 billing amount for the Workday subscription and related software coming in at nearly $455,000. County IT efforts are focusing on “four pillars,” according to the presentation: “Secure the infrastructure,” “modernize legacy enterprise applications,” “develop and implement an evergreen strategy with technology assets that will ensure staff have the tools to serve the residents of Grand Traverse County,” and “educate users of our IT system about the threats to our IT environment.”

The 2025 budget also calls for approximately $3.9 million in facility projects next year, which staff are now dividing into three categories including capital improvements (a permanent structural repair or change to extend a property’s life/value or uses), repairs (replacing or fixing broken components), and preventative maintenance (regularly scheduled maintenance to prevent property failures). Capital improvements are estimated at $745,000 for 2025 and cover three main projects: the replacement of the Civic Center irrigation system – which dates back to 1975 and is estimated to cost $600,000 to upgrade – and a new bathroom and kayak rental kiosk for Camp Greilick ($100,000 and $45,000, respectively). Staff noted a donor is possibly in line to cover the kayak kiosk cost but wanted to include it in the budget in case that fell through.

Among planned repairs next year are the replacement of the Governmental Center’s cooling system ($400,000) and the remodeling of its first floor ($100,000), trail overlook repairs at the Natural Education Reserve ($100,000), jail camera upgrades ($350,000), and improvements to the ice rink’s dehumidification system ($190,000). Preventative maintenance projects, meanwhile, are planned for county wayfinding signage, the Law Enforcement Center roof, and the Governmental Center parking lot.

Alger said another project county commissioners have expressed interest in tackling – deploying a countywide security camera system for key properties and buildings – is in the works but not yet ready for inclusion in the budget. Staff are still exploring options and costs, he said, estimating the technology could cost north of $500,000.