Ada County Approves Fiscally Responsible FY21 Budget
Total Budget is down $3.3 Million from 2020
BOISE – The Board of Commissioners today approved the FY 2021 balanced budget for Ada County. The budget is set at $284,731,212. The budget provides significant relief to all taxpayers without affecting critically important services for growing communities. The fiscally responsible budget provides for some high demand projects and positions that will improve critical services including:
• Funding to staff a second driver’s license location
• Two deputies to patrol East Ada County [Lucky Peak area]
• Improved communication for Police, Fire, and EMS in Rural Ada County
• Improvement to our Drug Treatment/Mental health Court [Remodel of New Facility & 3 Peer Support Specialist]
• Parking and Pathway Improvements at Barber Park
• The return of issuance of Passports
• Increased funding for the Master’s Facility Plan to address some of our most pressing capital infrastructure needs ($6.6M in FY21)
“Providing taxpayer relief, especially during these challenging times, was paramount in planning for our budget. FY21 will see no increase in taxes, however, we will be taking the new construction roll so that growth helps pay for itself. I am confident we will maintain the excellent level of service the public has come to expect from Ada County. I sincerely hope the tax relief we are able to provide will be helpful as we all navigate these unprecedented times.” Commissioner Kendra Kenyon, Chair.
“COVID-19 dramatically changed many things in 2020 as we planned and analyzed Ada County’s FY 2021 budget. One thing it did not change was my commitment to being fiscally responsible. Ada County is able to have a zero increase 2021 budget with minimal pain, and without a reduction in services, because Medicaid expansion continues to yield significant benefits to Ada County taxpayers.” Diana Lachiondo, Ada County Commissioner.
“I am thankful that department heads made a concerted effort to keep their FY2021 department budget requests flat. This allowed the Board to be able to establish a balanced budget without adding the statutorily allowed 3%, and only increase revenue from new construction. I chose not to apply the 3% of additional tax not taken this year to the Foregone Reserve pool, because delayed tax does not benefit taxpayers” Patrick Malloy, Ada County Commissioner.
You can now view the Ada County Budget in detail using the interactive Budget Explorer tool