Lackawanna County 2027 Budget Hearing 11-9-26

Lackawanna County’s 2027 budget hearing, held November 9, 2026, reviewed a proposed $190 million operating budget with no real estate tax increase. The presentation cited an initial projected deficit of $8.952 million, reduced through $960,000 in departmental adjustments, $1.025 million in anticipated interfund transfers, and non-recurring revenues. Real estate tax revenue was projected to rise by about $267,000, while operating expenses were projected to increase by approximately $9.2 million (5.1%). Key cost pressures included health care premiums, liability insurance, pensions, and inflation. The presentation also reported general fund expenditures of about $189.9 million and noted the county’s existing tax rates; no contract awards, bids, or procurement votes were identified.

Public comment and commissioners’ questions focused on recurring deficits and the county’s reliance on one-time revenues, the projected 2028 deficit, tax collection assumptions, departmental spending below budget, health-care costs, pension contributions, and the timing of the 2025 audit. Officials said they were evaluating cost and revenue adjustments, anticipated about $1.5 million in a future allocation, and expected approximately $1.025 million in transfers to reimburse the general fund for prior costs, including construction-related costs. They acknowledged that a tax increase may be difficult to avoid in a future budget but said no increase was proposed for 2027. No spending-related motion or vote was reported.