The newly sworn-in board of Carbon County Commissioners will take another look at the 2024 spending plan.

During the county commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, commissioners’ Chairman Michael Sofranko and Commissioner Wayne Nothstein voted in favor of reopening the budget. Commissioner Rocky Ahner cast the sole no vote.

Under county code, a new board has the option to reopen a budget that was created by the previous board.

Last month, Ahner and then Commissioner Chris Lukasevich voted to hold the line on taxes in the 2024 spending plan, opting to use the county’s fund balance to offset the gap. Nothstein strongly cautioned against that, and asked that a small tax increase be done instead.

Following the 2-1 vote Tuesday, Ahner said that maybe since the board is looking at the budget again, they could possibly look at an additional raise for county employees.

“There are sufficient funds in there,” he said, noting that if would only take an additional $159,800 for a bigger bump than proposed.

He suggested a 5% raise, but later during the salary board meeting, failed to get a second and a 3.5% raise for county employees was approved.

Sofranko asked the public to be patient as he and his colleagues get a new working dynamic.

“We’re going to do the best we can and looking in the right direction,” he said. “We’re not going to look back.”

He said that taking another look at the budget will allow the board to do cost analysis and make sure there is proper funding in the budget, adding that he is interested in hearing what his colleagues have to say.

Sofranko pointed out that he felt there were areas that could be cut and that there are other revenues that could be made.

As for Ahner’s suggestion to a 5% raise for employees, Sofranko didn’t rule out that possibility of an additional 1.5% action after the budget is readopted.

“Before we guarantee someone a 5% raise, I want to make sure that the taxpayers and Carbon County can afford it,” he said.

The county now has until Feb. 15 to adopt a new 2024 budget.