Trumbull County commissioners confront $3.9 million shortfall; ask departments for "bare‑bones" budgets as sheriff's request looms

Trumbull County commissioners on Feb. 5 pressed county staff to narrow a roughly $3.9 million gap in the 2025 spending plan and directed general‑fund departments to return with ‘‘bare‑bones’’ budgets that cover only statutorily mandated services.

The meeting centered on rising personnel costs and one‑time revenue differences that make 2025 look worse than 2024 on paper. Auditor Mark DeGetter told the board that last year's funding picture was inflated by one‑time transfers and capital receipts—including about $2.5 million in transfers and a $2 million Clerk of Courts deposit—so staff adopted a conservative revenue estimate for 2025. "We have $14,500,000 in reserves," DeGetter said, "but we don't want to live on savings for operating expenses unless there's an emergency."

The largest…