Seneca County presents $116M all‑funds 2026 budget; proposes $4.85 per $1,000 tax rate
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Summary
The Seneca County Board of Supervisors heard a detailed presentation of the proposed 2026 budget on Nov. 13. Officials proposed a $101.2 million general fund and $116.0 million all‑funds budget, a property tax levy of $19.1 million and an equalized tax rate of $4.85 per $1,000; salaries and benefits were cited as the primary cost drivers.
Seneca County officials presented the proposed 2026 county budget to the Board of Supervisors on Nov. 13, outlining a plan that would set the county’s equalized tax rate at $4.85 per $1,000 of assessed value and raise the property tax levy to $19.1 million.
The budget presenter said the all‑funds appropriations total roughly $116,000,004.61 and general fund appropriations are about $101,200,000, a $5.5 million increase over 2025. The proposal includes a one‑time allocation of $500,000 to begin a capital improvement planning process and $1 million in debt service funding for two building projects, including a new highway building and mental health renovations.
Officials attributed most of the year‑over‑year increase to personnel costs: combined salaries are budgeted to increase by about $3.2 million and benefits by about $2.4 million. Presentation slides cited a 21% increase in retirement costs and an 18% rise in health insurance premiums as major drivers. County staff also budgeted higher sales tax revenue (projected at $33.75 million) and increased interest earnings to offset some costs.
The presenter showed an estimate of median household impact: for a home with a $130,000 assessment and no change in assessment, the county portion of the tax would be roughly $630 annually under the proposal—about a $156 increase from the previous year, or roughly $13 per month. The plan relies in part on the county’s tax reduction reserve allocation (the presenter said a recommended allocation of $3.7 million is included).
Board members asked about assumptions behind the numbers, including sales tax projections, assessed valuation changes since 2014, and the timing of state inspections and project bids that affect debt service. The county said it will continue to monitor sales tax receipts, construction costs and federal/state funding changes that could affect final figures.
The board earlier authorized the clerk to advertise a public hearing for the 2026 Seneca County budget. Further committee review and a public hearing are the next procedural steps before final adoption.
What’s next: the county will hold the advertised public hearing and continue committee-level review before the board votes on final adoption.
