Lake County council limits 2026 budget to 2025 level, approves mandated salary increases and eliminates long-vacant positions

The Lake County Council voted to set the county's 2026 budget at the same level as the 2025 adjusted budget and approved multiple salary and staffing measures on votes that repeatedly showed six in favor, one absent.

Scott, a county staff member, told the council that "Senate bill 1 seems to be quite popular this year, and that's directly impacting, county's and local government's finance strategy from this point forward." He said the county had a 4% growth quotient this year but that roughly 80% of that increase is carved out for homestead credits and that "the impact of Lake County is about $6,000,000 reduction of increase," leaving roughly $1 million in levy capacity that is largely already committed.

The council approved, by recorded votes shown in the minutes as 6 yes, 1 absent, a motion to adopt a 2026 budget equal to the 2025 adjusted budget for all funds and salary. During discussion members repeatedly urged staff to identify offsets within the budget to fund requested salary increases and to avoid relying on unfillable budgeted positions as a balancing mechanism.

Council members also approved mandated and department salary adjustments: a separate motion to approve salary increases for the sheriff's department, police, correctional officers, 9-1-1 dispatch and highway staff passed by the same margin with discussion focusing on finding offsets in the budget. Another motion specifically approved mandated salary adjustments for judges, prosecutors, magistrates, public defenders and probation officers to align with the Indiana Supreme Court and Indiana Judicial Conference schedules; that motion also passed 6-0 with one absent.

The council voted to cancel remaining budget workshops except for a first reading on Sept. 16 and a second reading on Oct. 14; the motion passed 6-0 with one absent. Councilors then approved a motion to place any remaining balance into reserves and to apply remaining balances as directed, again by a 6-0 (1 absent) vote.

On personnel, the council approved a motion to eliminate positions that have been vacant since Jan. 1, 2024, excluding positions covered by collective bargaining agreements or state/federal mandates; that motion passed 6-0 with one absent. Councilors discussed using a staff report (referred to in the meeting as "Exhibit A") listing vacancies to identify which positions to exclude from elimination and to preserve positions that are necessary for operations such as correctional officers or heavy equipment operators where vacancies reflect staffing difficulties rather than expendability.

Votes at a glance

- Adopt 2026 budget equal to 2025 adjusted budget for all funds and salary: approved, vote tally 6 yes, 1 absent. - Approve salary increases for sheriff, police, correctional officers, 9-1-1 dispatch and highway: approved, vote tally 6 yes, 1 absent. - Approve mandated judiciary/prosecutor/public defender/probation salary schedule per Indiana Supreme Court and Indiana Judicial Conference: approved, vote tally 6 yes, 1 absent. - Cancel remaining workshops (retain Sept. 16 first reading and Oct. 14 second reading): approved, vote tally 6 yes, 1 absent. - Place remaining balances into reserves/apply remaining balances as directed: approved, vote tally 6 yes, 1 absent. - Eliminate positions vacant since Jan. 1, 2024, excluding CBA-covered or state-mandated positions: approved, vote tally 6 yes, 1 absent.

Councilors praised staff work on providing more detailed revenue and fund-balance reports this year and emphasized that, because allowable levy growth is constrained under Senate Bill 1, the county will need to shift costs where allowed to other revenue sources such as fee funds, income tax distributions or grants.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn; the council adjourned and scheduled further action at the Sept. 16 meeting for first reading and Oct. 14 for second reading of the budget.