Gunnison's budget moves $646,500 out of its water and sewer funds
Gunnison's fiscal 2026-27 budget message proposes moving $396,500 from the Water Fund and $250,000 from the Sewer Fund into the General, Pool and Irrigation funds, for purposes ranging from repaying city water bills to balancing the budget. The council held the required hearing and adopted the budget on June 17, 2026.
Continuing story: Auditing Gunnison
Gunnison's budget for fiscal 2026-27 proposes moving $646,500 out of the city's water and sewer utility funds, according to City Manager Dennis L. Marker's June 12, 2026 budget message. [1]
The council held a public hearing on the transfers June 17, 2026, before adopting the budget. The minutes of that hearing say: "The drafted 2026-2027 budget includes the potential transfer of revenues from enterprise funds into other, unrelated funds." [2]
Water Fund
The budget message lists a "Transfer $326,500 into the General Fund." It says: "This includes $90,000 to return city water payments back to the general fund, $36,500 as part of the city's grant match to build water infrastructure in the industrial park, and $200,000 to help balance the city budget." [1]
A second Water Fund item is a "Transfer $70,000 into the Irrigation Fund." The message says: "This is for design funding to look at expanding storage for the city's Peacock Springs water." [1]
The hearing memo lists the Water Fund transfers at $396,500 in total. Appendix A budgets the Water Fund at $13,579,000 in revenue and expenditures. [3][4]
Sewer Fund
The message lists a "Transfer $50,000 into the General Fund," which it says "includes $36,500 as part of the city's grant match to build sewer infrastructure in the industrial park." [1]
It also lists a "Transfer $200,000 into the Pool fund." That amount "includes $50,000 toward roof repairs over the locker rooms and administration portion of the building" and "$150,000 to reserves for replacement of the fiberglass roof over the pool." [1]
The hearing memo lists the Sewer Fund transfers at $250,000 in total. Appendix A budgets Sewer Fund expenditures at $619,000. [3][4]
The hearing and the vote
The minutes record the transfer hearing opening at 6:13 p.m. and closing at 6:17 p.m., with no public comment. [2]
The council then adopted Resolution 2026-07, the 2026-27 budget, by unanimous vote. Draft minutes of the July 15, 2026 meeting record unanimous approval of the June 17 minutes. [5][6]
These are budgeted transfers proposed in the budget message, not records of completed transfers. The minutes record the public hearing held on them.
Sources
- Gunnison City · Budget message, interfund transfers (June 17, 2026 packet)
- Gunnison City Council · June 17, 2026 minutes (July 15, 2026 packet)
- Gunnison City · Enterprise fund transfer hearing memo (June 17, 2026 packet)
- Gunnison City · FY 2026-27 budget, Appendix A fund summary (June 17, 2026 packet)
- Gunnison City Council · June 17, 2026 minutes, resolutions 2026-07 and 2026-08 (July 15, 2026 packet)
- Gunnison City Council · Draft July 15, 2026 minutes (Aug. 5, 2026 packet)
Reporting by The Utah Ledger from the public records above. AI-assisted, checked against those records.