The Adams County Board of Commissioners adopted the county’s 2014 budget during public hearing on Monday, Dec. 16. The 2014 budget, totaling approximately $494.1 million, includes a 4.91 percent revenue increase over the original 2013 budget, with expenditures increasing by 4.67 percent.

The 2014 budget includes $11.4 million in capital investment for county transportation infrastructure, including the design and construction of Steele Street from 86th Avenue to 88th Avenue. This $1.6 million project will establish a new roadway in order to accommodate area changes resulting from RTD’s Welby and 88th Station Park N Ride project. Another significant transportation investment is $2 million for roadway improvements to Lowell Boulevard from Clear Creek to 62nd Avenue.

The 2014 budget includes the addition of 66 new positions, including 19 positions from in-sourcing Front Range Airport operations into the county’s operating structure; 24 temporary positions in the Department of Human Services that were converted to permanent full-time positions; and 23 new positions added as part of the county’s efforts to institute best practices in local governance.

The 2014 budget includes a 3.0 percent merit-based employee compensation plan with a range of 0 - 5.0 percent. The 2014 merit-based pay plan addresses the county’s desire to remain competitive in employee recruitment and retention.

“Adams County is poised for tremendous growth, and this budget will enable county government to effectively support the needs of our residents,” Board Chair Eva J. Henry said. “As responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, we are committed to investing our expenditures wisely to build a stronger, more competitive, and more sustainable future for our county.”

The 2014 budget is balanced across all 20 funds with current revenues and reserves, in compliance with statutes regarding local government budgeting. In accordance with state statutes, the budget is adopted in December for the upcoming calendar year. Budget ebooks will be available online after the first of the year at www.adcogov.org.