Lorain County commissioners set public hearings for two 0.25% jail-related sales taxes

The Lorain County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday set public hearings for two separate one-quarter-percent (0.25%) sales-tax proposals tied to the county jail and detention facility that will appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot.

The board announced hearings to fund criminal and administrative justice services at the Lorain County Jail Facility and Lorain County Detention Facility under Ohio Revised Code sections 5739.021 and 5741.021. Those hearings are scheduled for Friday, July 17, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. and Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 4:30 p.m., both at 226 Middle Avenue, Elyria, fourth floor, Commissioners' Meeting Room B.

In a separate measure, the board set hearings on a second 0.25% sales tax for up to 15 years to pay for construction, equipping or repair of the same facilities, citing Ohio Revised Code sections 5739.026 and 5741.023. Those hearings are set for Friday, July 17, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. and Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. at the same location.

During the special meeting, participants confirmed they would treat the two proposed ballot measures as separate hearings. A motion to approve setting the first hearings for the criminal/administrative justice services tax passed with recorded 'Aye' votes from Commissioner Moore, Mr. Ridell and Mr. Gallagher. A second motion to set the hearings for the construction/equipping tax likewise passed with the same recorded 'Aye' votes.

The transcript does not identify who made or seconded the motions; the recorded roll-call responses in the meeting record show Commissioner Moore, Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Odell answering 'Here' at roll call and the later recorded votes listed Commissioner Moore, Mr. Ridell and Mr. Gallagher as voting 'Aye' on each motion. The motions as recorded in the meeting were summarized as "Move to approve." The board stated the hearings will follow Ohio statutory procedures for placing a sales tax question on the ballot.

The proposals described by the board would each be a one-quarter-percent sales tax applied for 15 years. The transcript does not specify projected revenue estimates, exemptions, exact ballot language, or a fiscal analysis; those details are typically provided to the public at the hearings or in accompanying fiscal documents.

The board adjourned after the votes. The public hearings are scheduled in mid-July, ahead of the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot.