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Champaign County board proposes one‑year use of public‑safety sales tax to avoid across‑the‑board FY26 cuts
Summary
The county’s finance leadership told the board it could keep the fiscal 2026 general fund budget flat by transferring roughly $1.77–$2.0 million from the public‑safety sales tax fund; members expressed support but also flagged risks to reserves and cash flow and asked staff for a detailed follow‑up plan.
Finance Committee Chair Ellie Hanauer Friedman proposed using public‑safety sales tax (PSST) receipts to “keep the fiscal year 26 budget flat,” presenting an option the committee’s leadership said would avoid immediate across‑the‑board cuts while giving the board time to craft targeted reductions for FY27.
The proposal would move roughly $1.77–$2.0 million from the PSST fund into the general fund to eliminate a projected FY26 shortfall that Hanauer Friedman said stood at about $1.8 million as presented at the meeting. "We'd like to have a thoughtful process on that," Hanauer Friedman said, arguing that leaders should avoid a rushed, uniform percentage cut and instead work with department heads on department‑specific plans.
The plan drew broad but cautious support. Several board members, including…
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