Richland County presents preliminary 2026 budget with radio-tower borrowing and cybersecurity costs

Richland County administrators presented the preliminary 2026 budget to the Executive Finance Committee on Aug. 25, outlining proposals to add cybersecurity funding, new radio-tower staff and a one-step wage increase for all full-time employees while drawing on a Pine Valley surplus and a one-time general-fund transfer.

The proposal would fund enhanced cybersecurity and the county’s infrastructure expenses previously covered in part with ARPA dollars, add staff to maintain radio-tower operations and begin debt service tied to an $8,100,000 radio-tower project. County staff said they plan to apply a $750,000 Pine Valley surplus to the budget and budgeted a one-time general fund contribution of $306,026.27 to close a gap in 2026.

County staff emphasized the county must maintain systems installed after a data breach about 18 months earlier and move recurring technology costs out of one-time grants. “We were able to absorb as much of those costs as we did just in operations,” a staff presenter said, noting departments trimmed discretionary spending to accommodate new costs. County board member Dave said the proposed use of fund balance is temporary: “This is buying us a year,” he said, and warned the board will need tougher choices for the 2027 budget.

Highlights and near-term implications - Personnel: The draft includes a one-step wage increase for all full-time employees and creation or conversion of several positions tied to radio-tower operations and emergency services. Staff described converting an existing contracted emergency-services position to a county employee and adding radio-tower technicians to support the new towers. - Capital and debt: The radio-tower project was presented as an $8.1 million capital program; staff said they will begin debt payments in 2026. The county’s debt service totals were described as increasing for the year because of that borrowing. - Technology: Staff said the county is consolidating technology expenses into a single technology fund to capture recurring costs (including prior Office 365 rollout costs that were initially covered by ARPA) and to purchase in bulk where possible. - Revenue offsets: Pine Valley surplus of $750,000 was proposed to be applied to the budget, and staff included a $306,026.27 general-fund draw to close a current-year gap. Highway revenues are expected to increase in 2026 because a county road project will generate state and federal aid; the highway expense total will decline in 2027 when the project completes.

Board requests and next steps Committee members asked for more department-level detail and year-on-year comparisons. Staff committed to providing the accounting worksheets used to assemble the gross numbers and to run additional reports from the new financial system for the committee’s September meeting. Staff cautioned that some statewide aid figures remain preliminary and that totals may change as state numbers are finalized. No final vote on the budget was taken; the board scheduled continued review and a formal public hearing later in the fall.

Context Committee members noted the county’s general-fund balance had grown over recent years and that one-time use of fund balance can bridge an interim gap, but several members cautioned against relying on fund balance as an ongoing strategy.

Less critical detail Staff said part of the highway revenue bump stems from a multi-million-dollar county road project. They also noted the county’s gross levy figures and allowable levy limit will be updated as state aid and levy limits are finalized in the coming weeks.