Lackawanna County 2027 Preliminary Budget 10-15-26

Lackawanna County’s preliminary 2027 budget presentation was held October 15, 2026, with the chief financial officer outlining a proposed $190 million operating budget and no real estate millage adjustment. The preliminary deficit was reduced from about $8.95 million to $3.966 million through departmental adjustments and nonrecurring revenues, including a proposed $1.5 million healthcare surplus allocation and a $1.5 million receivable from the Multipurpose Stadium Authority. The presentation also covered rising healthcare and pension costs, an approximately $20 million debt-refunding transaction, and a projected $4.621 million debt-service fund balance. Commissioners questioned the use of one-time revenues, future deficits, and budget assumptions; no budget approval or procurement award was recorded.

The CFO discussed planned investments and operating needs, including a community correction center, participation in a regional juvenile detention center, roads and bridges, county facility improvements, and replacement of IT hardware through a lease transaction. The county is also reviewing healthcare-cost measures, including potential pharmacy-benefit changes, but no vendor selection or contract decision was announced. Commissioners said they would continue reviewing spending and adjustments, and three public hearings were to be scheduled in the coming weeks.