Commissioners approve 2026 budget

FINDLAY — The Hancock County Commissioners approved next year's county budget this month, totaling approximately $107 million across all funds. The general fund budget is $35.3 million. The 2025 Hancock County budget totaled $111 million. Last year's general fund budget was $33.1 million. Next year, county officials allocated $5.5 million to the Hancock County Jail fund, making it the largest appropriation to a single county entity. Jail employee salaries are set to cost the county $3,028,488.32 and contract medical services are set at $877,760. The Sheriff's Office budget is $937,535.40. $381,330 has been allocated to employee salaries. $95,212 is allocated for the sheriff's salary, receiving a raise of approximately $3,000 from 2025. Other notable line items include $104,150.24 for insurance, $97,000 for contract services and $79,371.20 for PERS, or the Public Employees Retirement System. The sheriff's enforcement budget total is $4.7 million, an increase of $128,000 from last year. The largest line item jump is insurance, seeing an increase of $176,000 from last year. The Commissioners Office budget totals $827,978 with the largest line item totaling $224,682 for Commissioner salaries, an increase of $3,864 from last year. Commissioners' office employee salaries jumped by $119,000 to $184.070 next year. For next year, the county has set aside $150,000 for unanticipated emergencies in a contingency fund. $1.6 million will go to the hotel/motel "bed" tax fund. Hancock County Auditor's office budget is $715,116 with the largest line item coming in at $349,170 for office employees and $92,248 for auditor salary. The auditor's office has also allocated $130,565 to insurance. The county prosecuting attorney's office budget totals a little over $1.5 million. $905,444.40 is allocated to employee salaries, $158,797 is allocated to prosecuting attorney salary and $172,013 is going towards insurance. Other notable budget items include $4.5 million for the job and family services office. $1.9 million is allocated to employee salaries. $842,569 will go to contract services and $675,825.44 will go towards insurance. The developmental disability fund saw an increase of almost $1 million this year, totaling $11,798,000. Employee salaries are $3.5 million and contract services will be another $2.3 million. The county landfill budget is $7 million. The highest line items include $1 million for equipment, $1 million for contract projects and $910,000 for salaries.