Lorain County public commenters press commissioners on school budget losses and JFS labor dispute

A string of public commenters at the Lorain County commissioners meeting on March 13 pressed elected officials on two intertwined issues: cuts to school funding tied to the county's homestead property tax changes and an ongoing Job and Family Services (JFS) labor dispute.

Courtney Nazario, president of the Lorain City Schools board, told commissioners the district has cut 24% of its total budget in recent years and that in the last 10 months it lost about $6.4 million in combined state, federal and local funding; she said roughly $1 million of that loss came from Lorain County's expansion of the homestead exemption and urged the board to reconsider the policy before 2027. Nazario invited commissioners to visit schools and see the classroom impact, saying the reductions mean fewer teachers, paraprofessionals and mental-health supports.

Mark Ballard, a Lorain City School Board member, echoed that appeal and framed strong schools as essential to community stability and economic development; he asked the county to work collaboratively on mitigation measures, advocacy or alternative funding.

Separately, numerous JFS employees and union representatives criticized county actions and called for good-faith bargaining. Britney Eber, an intake caseworker who said she has worked at JFS for nearly eight years and who participated in the ongoing picket, described staffing shortages and urged the commissioners to return to the bargaining table so staff can resume serving clients. Marie Valentino (who identified herself as a 27-year JFS worker and UAW Local 2192 member) said the union is unified and disputed claims that remote work equals poor performance, citing state awards the agency received while staff worked remotely.

Gina Jones, speaking for JFS employees and community members, accused the board of failing to send a bargaining representative who can make decisions and questioned recent administrative pay and overtime practices at JFS; she and other speakers said most JFS funding comes from state and federal dollars and asked why front-line workers are bearing the brunt of budget tightening.

Several residents also raised transparency and public-records concerns and asked about the jail fund and audit timing. Gerald Phillips said he could not find a 2024 county audit and criticized delays in public-records responses; other speakers alleged misuse of reserve funds and called for accountability.

What happens next: commissioners said they plan to revisit the homestead exemption question later in the spring (targeting a May vote before the typical June deadline for implementation) and the board recessed into executive session on personnel, litigation and contracts after the public-comment period. Public commenters asked for follow-up meetings and for commissioners to meet with school and union leadership.