Erie County Council adopts 2026 budget, sets property tax millage at 6.94 after narrow votes
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Summary
After hours of debate and dozens of action-sheet amendments, Erie County Council approved the 2026 general fund and related budgets and set the real-estate tax millage at 6.94 mills; several contested grant and transfer votes passed by 4–3 margins.
Erie County Council on Thursday adopted its 2026 general-fund budget and related ordinances after a marathon session of amendments and roll-call votes, narrowly approving a 6.94 mill property tax levy that councilors said balanced one-time capital needs with limited use of fund balance.
Council members who supported the final package said the combination of modest fund-balance use and a small millage increase was the most responsible way to fund capital outlays and mandated expenses without forcing deeper cuts. Opponents warned that repeated reliance on one-time transfers and action-sheet add-ons risks larger increases next year.
The council approved the amended general-fund ordinance (Ordinance 65) by a 4–3 vote. The roll call for final passage showed Yes votes from County Councilmembers Rob Copeland, Drexel, Andre Horton and Chairman Scatella; No votes from Bale, Schauerman and Winarski. After action-sheet changes, the general-fund face value was reported at $1,138,558,199.
Councilors also approved the gaming fund (Ordinance 60) as amended, with the clerk announcing the gaming fund face value as $15,129,400. Separately, the council amended and adopted the real-estate tax levy (Ordinance 66), setting the millage at 6.94: the same 4–3 split carried that measure.
Several specific allocations drew contentious, closely divided votes. An action sheet to allocate $249,990 to a local "Black Wall Street" community grant passed 4–3, with the same coalition of yes votes that carried the general fund. Council also approved a $1,533,750 transfer to Pleasant Ridge Manor to address operating shortfalls after extended discussion about the facility's recurring deficits and the county's historical funding practices.
Members repeatedly debated how much of the county's fund balance to use for one-time capital purchases. Financial advisers presented face-value scenarios showing that using roughly $1.7 million from the fund balance would require a 6.94 mill rate; alternatives ranged from a zero fund-balance draw (which would have required a larger millage increase) to transfers closer to $2 million. Council ultimately adopted a compromise package the majority said balanced fiscal prudence with service continuity.
Council-floor debate included repeated calls for clearer reading of action-sheet figures by financial staff before votes, and several members asked that consultants or audits be used to examine long-term structural issues at Pleasant Ridge. The session recorded dozens of action-sheet motions (housekeeping items, department-level changes, and grant allocations), many of which were approved by roll call in sequence.
The council scheduled the next Finance & Personnel committee meeting for Dec. 4, 2025, and the next regular council meeting for December 2025. The council adjourned after the finance votes were entered into the record.
Votes at a glance - Ordinance 65 (2026 General Fund) — Adopted; face value $1,138,558,199; final vote 4 yes, 3 no (Yes: Copeland, Drexel, Horton, Chairman Scatella; No: Bale, Schauerman, Winarski). - Ordinance 66 (Real estate tax levy) — Adopted; millage set at 6.94; same 4–3 vote split. - Ordinance 60 (Gaming Fund) — Adopted as amended; face value $15,129,400. - Action Sheet funding: Black Wall Street — $249,990 added; passed 4–3. - Action Sheet transfer to Pleasant Ridge Manor — $1,533,750 added; passed 4–3.
What’s next The budget as adopted is effective for 2026; council members who opposed some allocations urged monitoring and follow-up, including a possible consultant review of Pleasant Ridge operations and a renewed look at ongoing revenue and debt-service dynamics before the 2027 budget cycle.
