Trumbull County commissioners review $14 million in carryover reserves as budget deadline nears

Trumbull County commissioners spent the bulk of a workshop meeting reviewing the county’s carryover reserves and how much of that balance could be applied to the 2025 budget to avoid layoffs and service cuts.

Prosecutor Bill Danso, speaking as a budget commission member, told the board he trusts the auditor’s estimated available resources — “about 64,000,000 without the clerk of court’s money” — but reminded commissioners that separate carryover balances held as reserves are distinct from the certified estimated revenue and could be tapped if the board decides it is appropriate. “I trust that what the auditor has given us,” Danso said, and he urged the board to consider whether its reserve balances are “too little, too much, just right.”

Danso and county staff outlined the major reserve components the board can review: an undivided sales tax carryover (about $6.5 million), justice sales tax (about $1.5 million), casino tax (about $2.5 million) and a managed-care-organization (MCO) sales tax balance…