Westmoreland County commissioners said additional spending cuts and layoffs could be implemented to trim a nearly $30 million deficit from the proposed 2026 budget.

Commissioners unveiled a preliminary spending plan Thursday that calls for more than $463 million in expenses, an $11 million increase over this year. About 30% of the overall budget is funded through federal and state grants.

All three commissioners vowed to keep property taxes at their current levels and said additional cuts will be implemented over the next three weeks before a final budget is presented for approval Dec. 18.

The proposed budget is based on what commissioners said was a wish list pitched by county department heads and suggested substantial changes will be made over the next three weeks.

Commissioner Ted Kopas forcefully rejected the initial proposal.

“This proposed budget is entirely unacceptable, and no way in hell it will be approved,” he said.

Commissioner Doug Chew echoed that sentiment.

“This budget cannot become our final budget,” he said.

Chew and Kopas confirmed layoffs will be considered as part of the additional cuts to be implemented.

Kopas stressed the severity of the review.

“Everything is on the table. Every potential cut is on the table,” he said.

Surplus used to balance initial budget

Finance director Meghan McCandless explained the urgency of the situation, noting the preliminary budget is only balanced through the use of the county’s surplus. Without additional budget cuts, she said, the surplus heading into 2027 would be less than $188,000.

Salaries and benefits account for more than half of the $182 million general operating fund, and human services account for about a third of the overall budget.

The challenge is exacerbated because covid relief funds are not available to use for the 2026 budget, McCandless confirmed. For the 2025 budget, commissioners used about $9 million of those funds to pay for general operations, which helped avoid a tax hike that year, following a 32.5% tax hike instituted ahead of 2024.

State impasse, funding cuts

Commissioners said planning for 2026 was made difficult by the four-month state budget impasse that halted allocations and forced county leaders to shift funds to ensure mandated social service programs continued to operate.

Officials said the county also lost about $500,000 in interest payments on invested funds because of the budget crisis, which led to the implementation of a series of austerity measures that included a hiring freeze, limits on purchases and prohibitions on overtime.

In October, 125 county employees were furloughed. Commissioners said the austerity measures will continue indefinitely and there are no plans to recall most furloughed staff.

Because of the deficit, the preliminary budget already includes significant reductions to outside agencies. This includes nearly $1 million from the county’s annual allocation to Westmoreland County Community College. The college received $3.5 million last year from the county.

The proposed budget includes no funding for the county’s economic development agency, which last year received $350,000.

“We will continue to review the budget line by line and make responsible reductions where appropriate, as we do every year. Our final adopted budget will be in a stronger position,” Commissioner Sean Kertes said.

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