Assistant County Manager Heber Lefgren said there are four main changes to the Wasatch County budget for 2026, which the County Council approved Wednesday. First, the $129 million budget removes costs and revenues associated with one full-time patrol deputy position. That’s part of Wasatch Cou nty Sheriff Jared Rigby’s ask for $2.2 million for public safety initiatives.  Overall funding for the Sheriff’s Office remains at more than 30% of the general fund. It’s the largest amount of funding for one department within the general fund, aside from public works.  Rigby requested eight new, full-time positions and one part-time role with the $2.2 million request, though the County Council determined that not every position is absolutely necessary. Along with the removal of one full-time patrol deputy position, the County Council approved the removal of a part-time emergency coordinator position from the 2026 budget.  A transfer from the county’s restaurant tax would have funded that position. “We removed the expense, and then we also removed the revenue. The change on the restaurant tax fund is that $36,000 would go into the base or the fund balance of that,” Lefgren explained. Third, Lefgren said there will be a transfer increase from the general fund to the capitol improvement fund by $169,000. As the expenditures from public safety initiatives are decreased, Lefgren said, those revenues are transferred for a future public safety project. It’s unallocated for now.  Lefgren said finally that the county will see an increase in the planned revenue within the transient room tax by $107,000 and transfer it to the parks and recreation department. That’s to help ensure the department would not need to do any Truth in Taxation in 2026.  The Wasatch County budget has increased by 35% from 2024 to 2025. This year marks the final year of one larger initiative — the Wasatch County Justice Center expansion project. Other projects underway include the new administration building construction and the jailhouse renovation project.  The post Wasatch County finalizes, adopts 2026 budget appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less