Lebanon County commissioners place 2026 budget on display with 0.2‑mill hike; vote 2–1

County staff presented a proposed 2026 Lebanon County budget of $113,828,076 and asked commissioners to put the plan on public display at a millage rate of 4.5925, a 0.2‑mill increase. After discussion the board voted 2–1 to place the budget on display; a special meeting is scheduled Dec. 24 at 9:30 a.m. to consider final adoption.

Jamie, the county budget presenter, said the proposal would set general fund expenses at $67,925,382 and noted key drivers of the shortfall: implementation of a recent salary study, a 14.5% increase in employee health insurance (about $1.6 million), an actuarially determined pension contribution budgeted at $3,350,000 (an increase of $300,000) and several capital projects including replacement of jail boilers and security upgrades. He said the county began the budget process with an approximately $6 million deficit and had reduced it to about $4.5 million through adjustments and use of available carryover.

“We started off with about a $6,000,000 deficit,” Jamie said, “and ended up with a deficit of 4 and a half million dollars.”

Commissioners debated whether to rebid certain contracts, notably the jail health services contract with PrimeCare Medical, which staff said is a nationwide carrier and difficult to rebid without risk of higher costs. Commissioner (Speaker 2) opposed the measure, arguing that some larger contracts should have been rebid and that the county lost potential interest income during the state budget impasse. Commissioner (Speaker 3) supported the compromise, saying the increase spread the burden and would cost the typical home in Lebanon County roughly $38 a year.

On homeowner impact, Jamie said the county used market values to calculate examples: a $200,000 home would see about a $21 annual increase, a $350,000 home about $38, and a $500,000 home about $54.

The motion to place the budget on display passed by voice vote, recorded as 2–1. The budget will be posted for a 20‑day public inspection period; the board set a special meeting on Dec. 24 at 9:30 a.m. as the likely time to vote on final adoption.

Next steps: the budget will be publicly displayed for 20 days and the board will reconvene to take a final vote; staff said they will continue to refine numbers and monitor state and federal budget developments that could affect county revenues.