Commissioners set 2026 county tax schedule, approve child‑welfare contracts and budget transfers

The Lawrence County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 26 adopted a resolution establishing due dates for county real estate tax bills for 2026, approved a package of child‑welfare vendor renewals and new contracts, and authorized internal budget transfers.

Treasurer Richard Rapone presented Resolution 265 to set the county real estate tax schedule for 2026. Rapone and commissioners clarified the resolution applies only to county real estate taxes, not municipal or school district bills. Under the schedule presented and adopted at the meeting, the board set the end of the spring discount period for county real estate taxes on Friday, May 1, 2026; the end of the face period on Monday, July 6, 2026; and the penalty period ending on Dec. 31, 2026. Rapone said the county also issues interim bills; the spring interim discount would end June 1, 2026, with subsequent face and penalty dates aligned with the schedule.

The board approved a set of Children & Youth Services (CYS) contracts — Resolutions 266 through 274 — in a single motion. John Baut, CYS director, summarized that most of the actions were renewals and that many placements are governed by the state's needs‑based funding and an approximately 80/20 state‑county funding split for those services. Examples provided in the meeting record include: - Resolution 266 (Alternative Living Solutions, Westmoreland County): renewal; per‑diem rate stated as $275 per day (transcribed). Baut described the provider as an additional resource, to be used as needed rather than a primary placement. - Resolution 267 (Pence Run Youth Services, Clearfield County): renewal; rates transcribed in the meeting as ranging from $186.79 to $289.55 per day. - Resolution 268 (Phoenix House, Fox County): renewal; rate transcribed as "$4.50 a day" in the record (see clarifying note below). - Resolution 269 (Taylor and Taylor Group Home, Philadelphia County): new contract; rate transcribed as $4.02 per day (as read into the record). - Resolution 270 (Belmont‑Harrison Juvenile District, St. Clairsville, Ohio): renewal; cited transportation and availability reasons for out‑of‑state use. - Resolution 271 (Summit School, Allegheny County): renewal for juvenile probation educational supports. - Resolution 272 (Cornell/Abraxas Group, Allegheny County): renewal for a mix of group home and specialized programs (drug and alcohol programs referenced). - Resolution 273 (Community Alternatives, Lawrence County): renewal for in‑county services including family assessments and in‑home programs. - Resolution 274 (Vocational and Psychological Services, Butler County): renewal for tutoring and out‑of‑school academic support.

Baut also introduced Donald Andrews, who he said will move into a contract monitor position and will appear before the board in that role at a later date.

Resolution 275, a separate motion, renewed the county's annual data‑sharing agreement with the Commonwealth's Child Welfare Information System (CWIS/CEDIS) required for needs‑based budgeting and state reporting. Baut described the CWIS agreement as an annual renewal of existing arrangements.

The board also took several routine financial actions. Commissioners accepted the controller's warrant registers (lists of paid bills) as presented. The board approved a requested transfer in the District Attorney's office: $1,400 moved from the DA travel line, with $52.13 noted for association dues and $1,347.87 toward land and building. Mental Health and Developmental Services requested and received a $150,000 internal transfer from community residential to the drug and alcohol line item; the presentation described this as a seasonal or in‑year reallocation common at this time of year. The board approved the minutes of its Aug. 21 meeting.

All motions recorded in the transcript carried on roll call votes with Commissioners Sonata, Kennedy and Vogler voting yes.

Clarifying note: several per‑diem amounts were read into the record as transcribed; at least one figure (Phoenix House, recorded as "$4.50 a day") appears inconsistent with typical per‑diem scales and should be verified with the county's contract documents or CYS prior to publication if precise dollar amounts are required.

Outcomes and next steps: Resolutions 265, 266–275 and the budget transfers were approved at the Aug. 26 meeting. Staff will proceed with contract renewals, and CYS will continue to use the approved providers as required by case needs and availability.