The Lorain County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 19 approved a working 2026 general fund appropriation based on a revised revenue estimate of $89,914,486, after a months‑long budgeting process that trimmed roughly $7.7 million from earlier requests.

Commissioners and staff said the package was built from an $86 million baseline and a conservative upward adjustment (about 4.25 percent) to reach the working figure. The board emphasized that the appropriation is a "living document" that can be revisited if revenues change.

"We expect to receive about $86,000,000," one commissioner said during the discussion, describing how staff and the auditor refined revenue estimates and then restored a modest increase to the working figure. Speakers noted the county had originally asked for roughly $97 million before reductions.

Board members and the auditor outlined specific cuts and voluntary reductions across departments to bring the budget in line with revenues. Commissioners said they reduced capital expenditures sharply, trimmed discretionary items and asked some elected offices to identify additional offsets. Several commissioners singled out cybersecurity as a new, unavoidable cost tied to recent breaches and state requirements.

County staff said the adopted budget focuses on funding mandated services first and keeping a modest capital program intact to avoid more costly repairs later. Officials also said some elected offices have separate revenue streams and that the county will continue monitoring receipts and could restore items if revenues improve.

The board approved the appropriation package by voice votes with the commissioners present, and officials said the package will be subject to quarterly or monthly review as 2026 revenue results become clearer. The board scheduled follow‑up budget monitoring over the coming year.