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Lycoming County adopts balanced 2026 budget, raises millage to 7 mills
Summary
The county adopted a $123.25 million 2026 budget — a decrease from 2025 — that raises the county tax millage by a half mill to 7 mills; commissioners also approved several capital and administrative resolutions and a package of personnel actions and contracts.
The Lycoming County Board of Commissioners voted Dec. 16 to adopt the county's 2026 budget, setting the county's millage rate at 7.0 mills.
County finance staff presented Resolution 2025-26, describing a total 2026 budget of $123,254,342, comprised of an operating budget of $115,978,442 and a capital budget of $7,275,900. Staff described the budget as balanced "without the use of the fund balance," representing a decrease of $5,452,008 (4.24%) from the 2025 budget.
As part of the package, commissioners approved a set of related resolutions and administrative votes by voice: a three-year capital plan, a resolution setting the 2026 millage (adopted at 7 mills following a half-mill increase), maintaining the predetermined real-estate assessment ratio at 100%, and the 2026 table of distribution and authorizations.
Commissioners said the tax increase was a difficult but necessary step in light of ongoing revenue constraints and rising operational costs and emphasized prior and planned cost reductions. "We've asked departments to reevaluate their budgets," a commissioner said during the discussion. The board said it seeks to build a capital reserve to avoid future reliance on the fund balance.
The meeting also approved personnel and contract items that implement the adopted budget: changes in court staffing (removing and adding clerk and reporter positions subject to two-year reevaluation), adjustments to telecommunicator pay implementation dates, multiple conditional job offers (with effective dates in January 2026), and contracts including polygraph testing (not to exceed $10,000), mitigation specialist services ($75/hour), and a Keystone Communications renewal for maintenance of radio and dispatch equipment (approx. $20,301). The board also authorized an adult-probation grant application requesting $168,903 to offset salary costs.
Votes during the meeting were recorded as voice votes and carried across the listed motions. No roll-call tallies were read into the transcript.
