Cumberland County adopts $107.02 million 2025 budget after public hearing

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on May 28 adopted the county's 2025 budget, authorizing $107,020,000 to be raised by property taxation after opening a public hearing and hearing questions from residents.

At a public hearing, Sandy Acevedo of Upper Deerfield Township asked for clarification on several budget items, including the phrase "structural budget imbalance," the source and use of ARPA and COVID-related funds, state reimbursements for constitutional officers' salaries, and funding for a county "Community Digital Connect" capital project.

County staff explained that a "structural imbalance" refers to anticipated, ongoing mismatches between revenue and recurring costs in future years — for example rising pension and health-care costs. The staff member said federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds were used in prior budgets to offset jail costs but are no longer available; details on ARPA and other surplus figures are posted on the county's website, staff said.

Acevedo also asked how much the county pays for retiree and spouse health benefits and requested a detailed breakdown of COVID-era funds. Staff said a line-by-line public breakdown was not available in the meeting but that audits and financial statements on the county website show beginning balances, uses in the budget and ending balances, and the county would provide answers by email to the public commenter.

On constitutional officers' salaries, staff identified the state's annual local finance notice as the basis for the county reimbursement figures and said the surrogate's office exceeded the standard increase this year; the sheriff's budget, they said, actually decreased from the prior year.

During the hearing a county official also confirmed that a county capital project line item described as "Community Digital Connect" had no budgeted spending in 2025 and that additional details would be provided separately.

After the public hearing the board voted on two budget motions. The meeting transcript records a motion to amend the introduced 2025 budget (Resolution 2025-331) and a motion to adopt the 2025 county budget (Resolution 2025-332). A roll-call vote on the adoption recorded the following commissioners voting yes: Commissioner Alsino; Commissioner Albrecht; Commissioner Romero; Commissioner Lodes; Commissioner Taylor; Deputy Director Marshon; Director Sarra. The motions carried.

Why this matters: The adopted budget sets the county's tax levy and frames service levels for 2025. Public questions at the hearing focused on long-term fiscal pressures, transparency about one-time federal funds and how those funds had been applied to county services such as the jail and social services.

The board and staff said they would follow up with the public commenter by email with requested itemized information and noted audits and budget documents are posted on the county website for further public review.

The vote on the budget amendment and adoption were recorded on the meeting docket as Resolution 2025-331 (amendment) and Resolution 2025-332 (adoption); both were approved by roll call as recorded in the transcript.