Los Alamos County adopts $350.9 million FY2027 budget, 6-1 vote
Council approved a $350.9 million spending plan, but David Reagor’s lone no vote focused on DPU and the county’s next fiscal cliff.
Los Alamos County locked in a $350.9 million FY2027 budget Tuesday night, but the sharper story was the lone dissent from Councilor David Reagor, who warned that the Department of Public Utilities was steering the county toward a future financial cliff.
The council approved the spending plan 6-1 after several days of budget hearings in Council Chambers at 1000 Central Ave. The adopted budget follows a proposed FY2027 plan published March 31 with $349.3 million in projected expenditures, down from FY2026 adopted expenditures of $367.9 million. It is the first year of the county’s FY2027-2028 budget cycle.
Reagor’s objection centered on the Department of Public Utilities, the county arm that provides electric, natural gas, water and wastewater service, including wholesale electric and water service to Los Alamos National Laboratory. That makes the utility budget more than a bookkeeping line for residents; it shapes rates, maintenance, debt and the county’s ability to keep the systems running without creating pressure later. DPU’s own strategic focus calls for meeting financial reserve targets within a 10-year financial policy and keeping debt coverage at 1.3 or greater every fiscal year.
The vote also underscored how much of county spending is driven by a few major operations. In the FY26 budget, the Department of Public Utilities made up 29.5% of overall county expenditures, while the Los Alamos Fire Department accounted for 15.4%. Gross Receipts Tax remains the county’s main revenue source, covering about 75% of General Fund revenues, so budget decisions continue to turn on how much room the county has to fund services without leaning too hard on future revenue.
Council also settled smaller but still visible spending fights. Members kept a $37,350 increase in travel spending that had been set aside for further review. They also voted 5-2 to reallocate $1.4 million for a bike park on North Mesa, with Councilors Theresa Cull and Beverly Neal-Clinton opposed.
County Manager Anne Laurent described the FY2027-2028 budget as reflecting “continued fiscal discipline” and “thoughtful long-range planning.” During the final vote, Council Chair Randall Ryti thanked county staff for their work developing the budget.
The county had already approved its FY2026 budget on April 23, 2025, also by a 6-1 vote. With the additional 1/2% Gross Receipts Tax set to take effect July 1, 2026 after earlier council action, the FY2027 budget now sets the stage for the next round of arguments over utilities, debt and what Los Alamos residents will pay to keep the county’s core systems working.
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