Cumberland County commissioners introduce 2026 budget, schedule public hearing amid calls for more financial history

Joe Sarno, a consultant with Holman, Frenia & Allison, introduced Cumberland County’s calendar-year 2026 budget and said the levy portion under consideration is $118 million — a figure he described as “the budget's going to be a hundred eighteen million dollars. It's a two percent increase on the rate.” He told the board the county’s total budget figures discussed in the presentation were in the roughly $182–$192 million range and said assessed property values in the county had risen to about $13.7 billion, helping mute some of the per-household rate impact.

Sarno identified three principal cost drivers raising the levy this year: rising health insurance costs (he cited roughly $3.6 million in year‑over‑year increases), correctional and contracted services, and higher out‑of‑county juvenile detention costs (he referenced a per‑person rate in the discussion of roughly $1,100 per day). He said the county is also using some fund balance to smooth the budget and that officials are advertising to hire a permanent county chief financial officer.

Why it matters: The board voted to introduce the budget and set a public hearing and second reading for June 23, the next step before final adoption. Commissioners and members of the public pressed for clearer historical context—how much surplus has been used in prior years and what the multi‑year plan for levy and reserves looks like—because the introduction raises the county’s taxing authority and affects household tax bills.

A newly seated commissioner objected to approving the introduction without baseline historical data and moved to direct the county administrator to provide a written report within one week with the past five years’ tax levy figures, annual surpluses, amounts of surplus used each year, and an established or recommended surplus level. The board debated whether that request constituted a formal procedural motion on the floor; the requester stressed the need for the data before the next budget vote but the transcript shows procedural confusion over whether the request was acted on immediately.

Several specific budget figures were highlighted for local impact: Sarno presented an example of the effect on a $150,000 assessed home and estimated a roughly $189 annual average increase for an average household under the presented levy figures; he also said county taxes make up roughly 30–35% of the typical property tax bill, with the remainder split between municipal and school levies.

Elections, staffing and grants: Melissa Comeando, administrator for the Cumberland County Board of Elections, told commissioners the office is managing the first day of early voting at three locations and reported operational strain: 1,538 new voter registrations, 937 party changes, more than 10,000 voter record changes, and 4,792 mail‑in ballots received to date. She said voting‑technology technicians have not received a salary increase in seven years, the office has two unfilled positions, and storage/warehouse space is inadequate. The board later approved a resolution to exceed the 2% cap for the Board of Elections budget for 2026.

Votes and dissent: The board moved and approved the introduction of the budget (Resolution 2026‑289) and adopted a number of routine procurement, grant and service resolutions by consent, including technology, public safety and shared‑services items. Several resolutions authorizing departments to exceed the statutory 2% budget cap for 2026 produced recorded objections from some commissioners who said such overrides set higher baselines for future years without demonstrated staffing or vacancy analyses. For example, a commissioner voting no on the Sheriff’s Office cap increase said the measure “authorizes a 3.2% increase, $69,071 beyond what the law normally allows,” and urged a long‑term recruitment and retention plan before a permanent expansion of taxing authority; other commissioners voted yes, saying the changes applied for the current year only.

Public comments and EMS questions: During public comment, residents raised broadcast quality issues and asked about reports that the county planned to operate an EMS service. County officials answered that there is no county‑run EMS at present and that the county is assisting municipalities that requested help in forming a cooperative service; participation would be voluntary by townships. A citizen asked how the county had avoided tax increases in recent years amid rising costs; commissioners and the presenter pointed to a combination of rising assessed values, use of fund balance in some years, and grant timing.

Health services in custody: Commissioners clarified that Resolution 2026‑317 authorizes a non‑fair and open contract to provide medication‑assisted treatment (MAT) services for inmates in the county jail, including medication options such as methadone, to support treatment needs while incarcerated.

What comes next: The board set a public hearing and second reading of the 2026 budget for June 23. The newly seated commissioner renewed a request for five years of levy and surplus history and a written surplus policy before the board adopts the budget; county staff indicated they would circulate the presentation in PDF and that the administrator would be asked to provide follow‑up materials.