# Budget Hearings - October 1st, 2026

Delaware County Council’s 2027 budget hearing (titled October 1, 2026; meeting metadata is dated October 2) focused on finalizing salary and department-budget instructions for the auditor before the planned budget-adoption meeting the following Wednesday. The draft showed a 2027 ending balance of $5,572,944, with $964,559 in confirmed givebacks that would add to the balance; council members cautioned against relying on similar givebacks in future years. Members reached direction on varied salary adjustments, including 5% for jail and 911 communications staff, 3% for sheriff’s deputies and EMS, and other department-specific increases. They also directed the auditor to calculate the full cost, including workers’ compensation, and circulate totals by late Monday or Tuesday. No final budget vote occurred; the council recessed, with the possibility of continuing the adoption meeting if the totals required further review.

A procurement-related item was Purdue Extension’s proposed regional service fee: the county’s amount would rise from $100,000 in 2026 to $145,000 in 2027, a $45,000 increase attributed to a population-based service model and the transfer of two county employees to Purdue. The overall proposed Purdue Extension contract was described as slightly above $200,000, but the hearing did not record an award or approval vote. Council also discussed shifting sheriff’s department positions from County General to LIT Public Safety; the surveyor’s office position proposed for elimination was retained after discussion. The only formal motion recorded was to recess.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Education, Public Safety
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** October 02, 2026

### Sources
- [Budget Hearings - October 1st, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aPqrqLXOYg) - Delaware County Government