El Paso County commissioners are expected to formally approve the county’s 2023 preliminary $472.5 million spending plan on Tuesday, boosting employee salaries and funding for roads, county facilities and parks, among others.

The county plans to spend nearly $16.5 million next year on employee salaries and benefits to keep up with rising wages in a competitive labor market and to better retain workers. It is the largest pay increase county officials have considered in more than five years due to inflation and the rising cost of living, Chief Financial Officer Nikki Simmons previously told commissioners during budget discussions this fall.

Proposed $473M El Paso County budget boosts employee salaries, roads funding in 2023

El Paso County proposes largest employee salary boost ‘in recent history’ for 2023

The 2023 budget includes about $260 million in discretionary funding commissioners can distribute to core services and departments, while the remainder of the budget is tied up by state and federal regulation.

More than $16 million will fund pay increases for county employees, including a 5% cost of living increase and a 2% increase to county department and office personnel budgets, Simmons previously said.

El Paso County lost 27 full-time employees in 2022. After allocating more money during budget discussions to add another full-time employee to the Planning and Community Development Department, the county now hopes to add 12 more full-time employees for a total of 3,006 full-time employees next year.

The proposed spending plan also includes nearly $18 million for local roads. This includes a one-time allocation of $16 million, up from $10 million, to fund road projects and $1.9 million for gravel road maintenance. Officials during budget discussions added $6 million more to the county’s road and bridge budget.

Northern nature center in El Paso County envisioned as a ‘hub’ for community, tourism

Other highlights include:

? $1 million to improve county facilities.

? $160,000 for county parks maintenance.

?  $250,000 in one-time funds for wildfire mitigation, added during budget discussions.

? $1 million to help fund construction of the proposed northern nature center, also added during budget discussions.

? $215,674 to clean up homeless camps after county finance officials appropriated an additional $65,674 to the original proposed budget for this item.

? $84,000 to hire a veteran’s appeals specialist to assist veterans navigating the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs process.

The Board of El Paso County Commissioners meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Centennial Hall, 200 S. Cascade Ave., in Colorado Springs. The meeting will also be livestreamed on the county’s Facebook page, facebook.com/ElPasoCountyCO.

Agendas are online at agendasuite.org/iip/elpaso.

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Additionally, the Centennial Hall auditorium closes Wednesday and will be closed through Dec. 28 while the county upgrades LED fixtures.

While construction is ongoing, county commissioners will meet for their Dec. 20 regular meeting at the Citizens Service Center in Colorado Springs, 1675 Garden of the Gods Road, room 117.

Commissioners will not meet Dec. 13 or Dec. 27.