Eagle County’s 2025 budget looks to spend $290 million
Questions loom over how to finish, pay for, the Eagle Valley Trail
Eagle County is looking to spend roughly $290 million across several funds in 2025. The Eagle County Board of Commissioners on Monday took some time to talk about how that money will be spent.
The biggest single expense for next year — $40.6 million — will go toward employee salaries and benefits.
In addition to ongoing spending for items including wildfire mitigation, funding radio systems and other items, there are also one-time requests
- Nov. 12 and 18: Budget discussions with the Board of County Commissioners
- Nov. 19: Fourth supplemental appropriation to the 2024 budget
- Dec. 5: 2025 budget presentation
- Dec 10: Budget adoption and certification of the Eagle County mill levy
Meanwhile, officials are looking for funds for other projects.
County Manager Jeff Shroll noted that a possible international terminal at the Eagle County Regional Airport is “shovel ready.” While large federal grants pay for most capital projects at the airport, Shroll noted those funds won’t be available for an international terminal. That means “we just need to find that $15 million,” Shroll said.
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Jill Klosterman, the county’s chief financial officer, said she and other county officials are also working to find funding for the last segments of the Eagle Valley Trail. Access issues have complicated the last segment of that trail. Some of that money should come from the intergovernmental agreement regarding revenue sharing with Core Transit.
Shroll said there should be more information coming later in November about access, where the trail will go and what it will cost to complete its final leg.
When it comes to the revenue split with Core Transit, Commissioner Matt Scherr said his feeling is that transit is the “more fundamental need.”
Nothing is yet final with the 2025 budget. There will be more meetings, with the final document set to be adopted Dec. 10.