Iron County Ambulance District Releases 2026 Budget and Tax Estimates

The Iron County Ambulance District released its 2026 Budget and Taxes Update on March 15, laying out preliminary figures across multiple departments and funds that will shape county tax estimates for the coming year. The document summarizes the district's financial posture alongside line-item revenues and expenses covering everything from court fines to inmate services, though the release as posted omits column headers, leaving the precise relationship between the three numeric figures on each budget line unconfirmed without official clarification.

Among the figures drawing the most scrutiny, the Emergency Management department shows salary and wages climbing from $62,500 to $120,057.18 in the preliminary column, nearly doubling the current budgeted amount. Employee benefits for that same department follow a similar trajectory, rising from $21,000 to $61,079.65. No explanation for those increases accompanied the posted document, and county officials have not yet addressed the figures publicly.

The County Jail department carries the largest dollar figures in the release. The three-column total for Department 4235 runs from $7,195,711.31 through $8,409,913.73 to $9,151,467.01, representing a proposed increase of roughly $741,000 over the middle figure. Line items within that department include $61,485 for fixed asset equipment in the preliminary column, down from an $82,500 budgeted figure, and drug screening holding steady at $2,000.

On the revenue side, Iron County Fines remain the largest single line item, with $890,583.96 recorded against a preliminary estimate of $900,000. Fines from the Iron District at the state level show a more pronounced projected increase, from $248,500 to $265,000. Information technology fees rise from $25,000 to $35,000 in the preliminary column, while prior-year ambulance collections show just $40.80 recorded and nothing budgeted going forward.

A notable shift appears in the transfer structure. The Road Fund Allocation under Department 4830 drops from $200,000 in the current budgeted figure to $150,000 in the preliminary column, a $50,000 reduction. The Increase to Fund Balance line under Department 4980 moves from $93,419 to $146,293 across the same columns, though the first column for that line shows no value.

Total revenue across the relevant fund is listed at $299,894.72, with preliminary figures of $295,000 and $298,000. Total expenses for the same fund show $201,868 recorded, with the same $295,000 and $298,000 figures appearing in the second and third columns, a pairing that requires official explanation before the numbers can be fully interpreted.

The release also includes Special Service District No. 3, where insurance expenses are projected at $1,707, and Prairie Dog Control, budgeted at $6,000 against just $642.92 recorded. A Fleet fund entry for an administrative selling fee appears at $6,000, though the document excerpt ends before a third-column figure is provided for that line.

The full posting text was not available in the version released publicly, and column labels identifying which figures represent actuals, current-year budget, and proposed 2026 amounts were not included. County officials and the Ambulance District board have not yet scheduled a public hearing date, but the preliminary nature of the figures indicates that process remains ahead.