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Lorain County commissioners warn of budget shortfall, cite pending state changes and petition drive
Summary
Commissioners discussed a projected county budget deficit, potential state legislation that would eliminate inside millage, and a petition drive to eliminate real estate taxes, and said hearings on a possible sales tax increase will continue this summer.
At a June 30 meeting, the Lorain County Board of Commissioners said the county faces a projected budget shortfall next year and reiterated plans for further public hearings on a possible sales tax to address county revenue needs. "We expect revenues to be flat for next year... and we have negotiated responsible pay raises for our staff and hospital bills," the meeting chair said, listing wage and healthcare cost increases as drivers of the expected deficit.
The chair told the public the county will learn in early August whether a petition drive to eliminate all real estate taxes will make the November ballot, and said the state legislature might consider a bill "down in the house in Columbus today that would eliminate inside millage for all the entities that collect inside real estate tax millage." The chair said passage of such a bill would dramatically reduce county revenue and magnify the budget gap.
The commissioners described the budget numbers as preliminary. The auditor will provide a tax-revenue projection, departments have submitted tentative 2026 budgets and the board said it must reconcile department requests with projected revenue before adopting a final budget later in the year. The chair said the county had an $85 million projected deficit under current assumptions and that the additional state action could cut revenue further. "We're at the early stages... the next several months are gonna be very, very active," the chair said.
The board scheduled additional hearings on the sales tax proposal; the chair said, "We'll have another hearing on the sales tax after the meeting today." No formal tax measure was adopted at the June 30 meeting; commissioners framed the discussion as preparatory and said they will return with more detailed numbers once the auditor's revenue estimate and any state developments are clarified.
The commissioners urged residents to stay engaged and attend upcoming hearings. The remark that the county must balance elected departments' budget requests with the auditor's revenue forecast was repeated as the board described budget negotiations that will continue through the summer and fall.
