The Lake County Board of County Commissioners approved more than $93,000 in supplemental general fund appropriations and hired an outside HR firm to handle internal affairs investigations at the Sheriff’s Office during its June 16 regular meeting.
Commissioners unanimously adopted Resolution 2026-26, appropriating $89,128 for the Coroner’s Office to cover a staffing gap — including a net personnel adjustment of $79,128 to fund a full-time deputy coroner position and $10,000 for a 1099 contractor handling chief deputy services. Coroner Alexander Kreig had previously presented the request after identifying that personnel costs exceeded adopted budget levels.
The board also adopted Resolution 2026-25, authorizing a $4,000 supplemental appropriation for the Clerk and Recorder’s Office to fund a partition installation and an additional security camera as part of an office reconfiguration that relocates the Driver’s License operation and moves Elections into space adjacent to the secure election room. County Manager Candace Bryans noted both resolutions had received prior board approval but required formal documentation before submission to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs.
Commissioners approved a Professional Services Agreement with Paradigm Public Affairs to provide HR consulting to the Sheriff’s Office for internal affairs matters. County Attorney Matthew Hawthorne noted the contract covers both the Sheriff’s Office and the broader county, giving elected offices a neutral third party for sensitive HR investigations. Sheriff Heath Speckman conducted a formal RFP process before selecting the firm; the contract is an unbudgeted expense.
The board also elected to pursue Secure Rural Schools Act funding over the 1908 Amended Act for the federal fiscal year 2026 payment, locking in a preliminary estimate of $127,493 — compared to $30,268 under the alternative — with 80% allocated to Title I for public schools and roads and 20% to Title III for county uses. The completed election form must reach DOLA by July 22.
During public comment, a resident raised concerns about a missing abstract and certification document flagged in red in the county’s independent audit, citing the document as critical for taxpayer understanding of property tax increases exceeding 150%. Tina Tekansik questioned ongoing payments of up to $160,000 to CBS Accounting despite continued audit findings and raised questions about a lease office-sharing agreement with Rocky Mountain General Counsel. Commissioners said they would follow up with relevant elected officials on both matters.
The board entered three executive sessions covering Lake Fork Ranch water rights negotiations, prescriptive easement claims, and the county’s 2024 Certificates of Participation related to the courthouse renovation project. No formal action was taken in any session.
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