Lawrence County adopts balanced 2026 budget, holds property tax rate steady; court appointments and contractor renewals approved

The Lawrence County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 30 adopted a balanced fiscal-year 2026 budget and left the county's property tax rate unchanged, the board announced during a regularly scheduled meeting at the county courthouse.

The budget was placed on public display Dec. 9 and met statutory requirements for a balanced budget. "There's no proposed tax increase," a county staff member said during the meeting, noting the budget had been on public display for 21 days and no public comments had been received. Commissioners voted by roll call to adopt Resolution 416, which the chair said satisfies the county's legal deadlines for adopting a budget.

Why it matters: Keeping the property tax rate steady can limit immediate tax pressure on local property owners while preserving county services. The board also approved Resolution 417 to set the county millage for 2026 at 8.309 mills, broken down as 7.528 mills for the general fund, 0.646 mills for debt service and 0.135 mills to support the three county libraries (Newcastle Library, Elwood City Library and F.D. Campbell Memorial Library).

The meeting also included a package of routine but consequential actions: the board approved several court-appointed counsel…