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Committee confronts roughly $250,000 FY2026 shortfall; union talks, insurance and revenues cited
Summary
Committee members said a roughly $250,000 budget shortfall for FY2026 remains subject to change pending health insurance percentages and the outcome of FOP negotiations; the chair urged department heads to identify savings before salary cuts are considered.
The Finance IT Committee discussed a roughly $250,000 shortfall in the county’s draft fiscal 2026 budget and outlined next steps: await updated health insurance percentages, factor in results of contract negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), and revisit department budgets for possible savings.
Committee chair (name not provided) said the $250,000 figure will change once the county receives health insurance percentage estimates from Susie Warner and settlement figures from upcoming FOP negotiations. The chair said the committee will prefer department-driven reductions rather than across-the-board salary cuts, but warned that if no alternatives are proposed the shortfall would come from salaries.
Finance staff said the county expects better revenue clarity after the Department of Revenue provides updated figures in mid-August. Staff also explained that final health insurance percentages typically arrive in late September or early October, which affects the budget projection.
Union negotiations and scheduling were a prominent part of the discussion. Committee members said FOP negotiations are scheduled to begin Wednesday; committee representatives for corrections and other units were discussed and staff confirmed a phased negotiation schedule. Members noted that the outcome of those talks could materially change the projected shortfall.
Other items the committee flagged for budget consideration included: township assessor reimbursements that could offset workload costs in some offices, the health department’s budget (scheduled for presentation next month), and several one-time or grant-funded items whose timing can affect appearance of budget lines. The public defender’s grant-funded expenses were discussed as an example of revenue/expense timing that can make an expense line appear over budget when grant reimbursements cross fiscal years.
Timeline: committee members said the FY2026 budget must be placed on display in October and approved in November. Staff agreed to prepare spreadsheets of current wage and nonunion salary data to help the committee model outcomes; union contract assumptions will be layered in once negotiation figures are available.
No formal vote occurred on budget reductions at the meeting; members asked department heads to return next month with suggestions for reductions or offsets before the committee proposes specific cuts.
