The Davis County Budget Committee reviewed spending plans for six departments Tuesday, Oct. 6, as commissioners work through a multi-day cycle to shape the county's fiscal year 2027 budget.

The session at the Davis County Administration Building in Farmington covered the Health Department, Davis Behavioral Health (DBH), the Children's Justice Center (CJC), Attorney and Victim Services, the Library and the Justice Court, according to the committee's agenda posted by the Controller's Office.

Six department heads presented their budget requests starting at 1 p.m. Brian Hatch, Health Department director, opened the afternoon. Brandon Hatch, Davis Behavioral Health director, followed. CJC Director Julie Stephenson, County Attorney Troy Rawlings, Library Director Joshua Johnson and Justice Court Judge J.C. Ynchausti each presented in turn, with the final presentation scheduled at 4 p.m.

All three county commissioners sit on the Budget Committee: Chair John Crofts, Vice Chair Bob Stevenson and Commissioner Lorene Kamalu.

Kamalu serves as the commission's liaison to four of the six departments reviewed, including the Health Department, Library, CJC and Davis Behavioral Health, according to the county's 2026 commission assignments.

The committee's recommendations are advisory. The full commission must formally adopt the FY2027 budget.

No minutes or budget figures from the Oct. 6 session have been published. Prior-year records offer some context for what's at stake. At the Sept. 23, 2025, budget session, Davis Behavioral Health requested $1.56 million from the county's General Fund, a 2.5% increase over the previous year, according to meeting minutes. At that same meeting, state officials warned DBH to plan for a 25% cut to federal block grants for Opioid Settlement Funds.

Davis Behavioral Health reported total expenses of $35.4 million in fiscal year 2024, according to the county's annual financial report. The county General Fund also provided a $190,000 subsidy to the CJC during the prior budget cycle.

Separately, the Davis County Commission approved a $388,704 pass-through contract with the Utah Attorney General's Office for FY2027 CJC funding in July 2026, according to commission records. That contract runs through June 20, 2027.

Stevenson told KSL on Oct. 7 that he chose to remain on the commission rather than fill a vacant legislative seat in part because of the budget process. From his perspective, he said, "it's very important that I finish out my role as a county commissioner and do basically what I was elected to do."

The Budget Committee continued its review Wednesday, Oct. 7, with the Clerk, Treasurer, Information Systems, Recorder and Surveyor departments. A date for the full commission to adopt the FY2027 budget has not been announced. Budget Committee meetings are open to the public at 61 S. Main St., Room 306, Farmington.