The Richland County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 18 began its 2026 budget review after staff revised the county’s sales‑tax forecast upward, narrowing—but not eliminating—the gap the board must close to balance the general fund.

Commissioner Tony Vero told commissioners the revised sales‑tax estimate is about $26.07 million and that, with a contingent state backfill related to a sales‑tax holiday, staff could use $26.09 million as a working number. “That leaves us with $3,900,000 to cut to balance,” Vero said during the session, framing the magnitude of the work ahead.

Why it matters: The sales‑tax revision reduces the shortfall from an earlier $22.5 million projection submitted to staff, but commissioners said the change is not large enough to avoid difficult choices. The board spent the morning pressing departments to pare requests, moving large purchases into the capital budget where possible and flagging items for later review.

Early votes and procedural actions: At the start of the meeting the board certified the record of proceedings for Nov. 13, approved routine requisitions, and approved hiring a clerical position in Child Support (Julie Hadala at $15 per hour, effective Dec. 1, with a 180‑day probationary period). The board also approved CSEA’s request to close for a two‑hour Christmas luncheon on Dec. 17 and approved five vendor quotes for fire‑system repairs at five county buildings; the quotes cover the jail, a park building, two CSEA sites and office space at JFS, per the packet and discussion.

Sheriff and jail priorities: Commissioners repeatedly noted that the sheriff’s office constitutes the largest portion of the general fund—about 42%—and debated which sheriff capital requests to advance. Large capital asks discussed include multiple patrol cruisers, the jail kitchen repair, exterior doors and access panels, body‑scanner equipment and security panel upgrades. The board said it would generally move large purchases to the capital budget for separate consideration and prioritization; members flagged the jail kitchen and door/access‑panel upgrades as near the top of the list and said they were unlikely to approve all cruiser requests in a single year.

Courts and IT: The general division requested $309,000 for new servers and storage arrays. Commissioners pressed court staff for a replacement plan and questioned why the expense was not previously anticipated; they suggested shifting the request to the capital budget or using available court special‑project funds rather than burdening the general fund.

Juvenile/detention: The board heard that juvenile/detention revenues are projected down about 12% and that a short closure for repairs could reduce capacity 2–3 months, affecting revenue. Commissioners noted headcount for detention has grown and debated whether to defer requested additional staff while the facility’s capacity is temporarily reduced. The board directed staff to look at moving some repairs to capital and to provide clearer projections on detention staffing and costs.

Other operational lines: Commissioners reviewed gasoline and contract‑service spending, and suggested modest reductions in projected operational costs while preserving necessary service levels. Health‑insurance costs were noted as a growing pressure; board members asked staff to provide clearer projections on insurance increases before locking salary decisions.

What’s next: Commissioners recessed the work session and said budget deliberations would continue in follow‑up sessions. The Nov. 18 meeting closed without final adoption of any broad budget package; the board directed staff to return with refined numbers and options to close the remaining gap.