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County adopts alternative tax budget for 2026; officials outline levy schedules and debt service
Summary
Cuyahoga County's Finance and Budgeting Committee adopted the annual alternative tax budget for 2026, a routine step under Ohio law, with the fiscal office presenting millage schedules, a $2.2 billion operating tax budget estimate and general obligation debt service projections.
The Cuyahoga County Finance and Budgeting Committee adopted Resolution 20250187, the county's annual alternative tax budget for 2026, after a short presentation from fiscal office staff.
Walter Parfia of the county fiscal office told the committee that Ohio Revised Code section 5705.28 requires council to adopt a tax budget to demonstrate the county's need for property taxes and to establish next year's revenue estimates. He summarized three schedules included in the packet: Schedule 1 lists levies totaling 14.85 mills of levied and unvoted millage (totaling $450,500,000); Schedule 2 is the certificate of estimated resources showing a recommended county operating tax budget of just over $2,200,000,000 for 2026; and Schedule 3 details general obligation debt service, which the presenter said totals just over $200,000,000 across several bond series.
"This is really a three-step process," Parfia said, describing subsequent certification by the Budget Commission and a later council resolution to accept final rates once certified.
With no questions from the committee on the presentation, the chair moved to adopt the alternative tax budget; members seconded and members responded "Aye," approving the resolution.
Next steps: the county will send the proposed rates to the Budget Commission for certification and return to council for final acceptance once the Budget Commission completes its review.
