Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County auditor: office could close and layoffs possible without roughly $292,000
Summary
At a Trumbull County special budget meeting, the county auditor warned the office may close and that layoffs could follow by Oct. 1, 2025, unless the board provides roughly $292,277.78 to cover payroll and operating shortfalls. Commissioners discussed options including partial funding, reserves and further review at the budget commission meeting.
Trumbull County held a special budget meeting that centered on growing shortfalls in department budgets and a warning from the county auditor that her office faces closure and layoffs without additional funding.
The county auditor (name not specified) told commissioners that the auditor's office needs $292,277.78 to remain open and continue mandated services. "The $292,277.78 is needed to keep the auditor's office open and to continue both mandated services it provides as well as support it bridal for other services," the auditor said. She warned bluntly of a deadline if the shortfall is not addressed: "If nothing changes, all my employees will be laid off 10/01/2025." The auditor said the county would also lose revenue if the office closed, estimating a loss of about $575,000 in conveyance fees.
Why it matters: the auditor's office contributes significant revenue to the general fund through conveyance fees and other collections; without enough staff to process transactions the county could both lose revenue and fail to deliver services that are statutorily required. The auditor said her office already trimmed staff from 43 employees in 2023 to about 39 in 2025, froze certain pay increases and delayed hiring, but that those steps only reduced a variance from $394,296.60 to $293,277.78.
Details from the meeting showed the auditor's office brought $1,694,002.68 to the general fund in the first half of the year, and the office's estimated annual contribution to the general fund was presented as $3,286,600. The auditor said a typical two-week payroll for her office is roughly $103,000 and that a $293,000 supplementation would carry the office through several payroll cycles (she said the requested amount aligns with covering three pay periods in current projections). She also said that layoffs require advance notice under the office's collective bargaining agreement and that the process and timing affect costs — including unemployment and continuation of benefits.
Commissioners and staff discussed temporary options and next steps. Commissioners signaled a desire to avoid layoffs; one commissioner said, "We don't wanna lay off anybody," and multiple commissioners urged continued review of carryover funds, rainy-day reserves and bond proceeds. Budget staff noted the board holds roughly $25 million in bond investments and that any use of invested funds would require coordination with the treasurer and auditor.
The board planned additional review at a budget commission meeting scheduled for the following Monday and agreed to circulate updated July figures ahead of a Tuesday workshop to determine if partial or interim funding could be distributed. The auditor and commissioners discussed the timing of a layoff notice, pointing out that legally required notice and the union process mean any decision must be made well before an Oct. 1 target.
The meeting closed without a final allocation to the auditor's office; commissioners voted to carry the meeting motion that concluded the session (motion text not specified) and the motion was seconded and approved.
Looking ahead: the board will meet again with updated revenue and carryover figures. The auditor said she will continue delaying layoffs while the board pursues interim funding options, but reiterated that a firm commitment from commissioners will be necessary before layoff notices can be withheld indefinitely.
