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Essex County Board adopts FY 2026–27 fiscal plan and operating budget, sets 2026 tax rates
Summary
At an April special-call meeting, the Essex County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 26-006 approving the FY 2026–27 annual fiscal plan and established calendar-year 2026 tax rates, and approved Resolution 26-007 adopting the county operating budget with increased emphasis on instruction.
At a special-call meeting in April, the Essex County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 26-006 approving the county’s FY 2026–27 annual fiscal plan and established tax rates for calendar year 2026. The measure was moved by Vice Chairman Gill and seconded; the board approved it by voice vote.
The board also approved Resolution 26-007, the appropriation of the adopted county operating budget for FY 2026–27. The clerk explained that the resolution includes percentage allocations for the general school fund based on recent averages and that the board increased the allocation for instruction from an historical average of about 66% to 73%, while reducing operations/administration, transportation and technology allocations by roughly 2 percentage points to prioritize classroom instruction. The motion to adopt Resolution 26-007 was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Why it matters: Adopting the fiscal plan and operating budget finalizes county spending priorities and the tax-rate framework for 2026. Board members praised staff for completing a smooth budget process and noted that, for this cycle, county taxes were not raised while services were maintained.
Votes at a glance: The transcript records voice approvals for Resolutions 26-006 and 26-007; the votes were recorded as voice votes with the clerk confirming “Ayes have it.” The transcript does not provide individual roll-call tallies for either measure.
Next steps: The board announced a May work session at 5 p.m. on May 12 in the BOE Boardroom, followed by a regular meeting that day where any additional follow-up items would appear on the agenda.
