Boone County 2025 budget approved with focus on workforce retention
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Boone County Commission unanimously approved the 2025 budget on Thursday afternoon.
Early drafts of the budget expected it to be $163 million, with nearly $54 million coming from the county’s general fund.
Five key priorities shaped the budget, including: Improved workforce retention and reduced workforce turnover and vacancy; addressing priority staffing and space needs; providing new and replacing equipment, vehicles, technology, and capital infrastructure; public safety improvements and increased financial stability and transparency of how the county is using operating funds.
According to county documents, Boone County has been experiencing “unprecedented employee turnover and lengthy vacancies” since 2020. These vacancies were having an impact law enforcement, detention 911 dispatching.
Market analysis data done by the county found that Boone's average pay was below market value. Because of this, the county says salary increases were the top priority in the 2025 budget. Drafts of the budget included salary increases that will be handed out at “ the discretion of the Administrative Authorities, as well as, a retention incentive with the intent to combat workforce turnover. “ As a result, the budget includes a $1.9 million increase to fund these pay raises.
Part of its public safety improvements includes the creation of a law enforcement training center, which would include a 24/7 daycare for workers' children.
"Childcare is in high demand in Columbia/Boone County. We truly believe the addition of a childcare center for first responders will be a huge asset to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office. We believe it will greatly assist us with recruiting and retention of quality employees at the Boone County Sheriff’s Office," Sheriff's Office spokesman Brian Leer said in the statement.
The State of Missouri has granted Boone County $4 million for the Regional Law Enforcement
Training Center. In addition, the County received $2.5M in assistance from the State to construct the Public Safety Child Care Center. The county broke ground on the new center in April. The county announced the addition of the training center last year.
Northern District Commissioner Janet Thompson said that the addition of a childcare center for public safety personnel is important for recruitment and retainment.
"One of the things that we've seen over time is it's really difficult to hire and then retain folks in public safety," Thompson said. "We are always are looking for top quality people, and it's just hard. Those are 24/7 kinds of offices and we really are looking for the best, and we're trying to keep them."
Both the Regional Law Enforcement Training Center and Public Safety Child Care Center are expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
The 2025 budget includes funding to address staffing and space needs in several offices across the county. This includes money to hire 10 full-time positions, three part-time position and removing three positions.
About $13.7 million was allocated million to invest in new technology and equipment, which marks an 18% decrease from the 2024 fiscal year.
An estimated $2.1 million will be spent from the general fund to cover the cost of computer hard drive replacement, implementing services for the county’s EMP management, and upgrading the Sheriff’s Record Management and Jail Management Systems. The budget also sets aside $445,000 for vehicle replacements and repairs.
The Emergency Management Fund was allocated the most money in the proposed budget, at $9.25 million, which will be spent on various radio and software equipment, as well as two sandbag auto-filling machines.
The capital repair and replacement fund includes $2.6 million, which will help cover the cost of a $700,000 new HVAC system for the courthouse and $1.5 million for a new fuel station for Road and Bridge.
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