Fayette commissioners say careful cuts kept budget in line
The Fayette County budget in 2026 experienced major upward pressure in several areas. Employee health care increased $1 million. The state-required county match for CYS is up $878,000. The pending death penalty cases increase the district attorney and public defender budgets by $756,000. The retirement fund contribution is elevated due to lack of payments by a previous board of commissioners. There are others.
Despite all this, spending increased by only $67k in 2026. How? The commissioners have been cutting spending. Personnel costs account for 70% of the budget. We are finally addressing what is the vast majority of and the biggest impact on the budget.
The commissioners made the difficult decision to eliminate 17 positions. These included nine layoffs and not filling eight vacant positions. We eliminated 15 positions last year, half of which were vacant positions. In two years, 32 positions have been eliminated. Those positions included 22 under the commissioners, three in the courts, and one each in a majority of the row offices. Half of these were cut by not filling vacant positions. Nobody lost their pension.
For years county raises were 3%. This was needed as salaries in the county were not competitive with other governments and the private sector. Those salaries are now commensurate with our competition. This year raises were budgeted at 2%.
For the first time, county Recorder of Deed Jon Marietta had a vote on spending as a member of the Salary Board. A critic of the commissioners who espouses spending cuts, Marietta made the motion and voted to raise spending by increasing salaries by 3% in his department. He was outvoted by the commissioners and 2% raises were granted.
Copays were added to the county health insurance plan. This is needed to defray some of the increase in county health insurance. This decision was made after open enrollment for the employees. The county and Highmark reopened the enrollment period to address this. It should be noted that roughly 75% of health plans in the U.S. require copays. Our insurance plan does not require co-insurance.
These personnel moves saved the county in excess of $3 million in the 2026 budget. These are difficult and unpopular decisions that had to be addressed.
Much has been said about LERTA being offered to Nemacolin. Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance is regulated by ordinance and is available for any new commercial construction or renovations in several municipalities in the county, including Wharton Township. LERTA is a tax incentive designed to incentivize new commercial development. Every county and state around us has some form of these incentives. This puts us on an even playing field. Fayette County LERTA is a five-year abatement on new construction or renovations, not 10 years as is being reported.
To correct the false narrative being spread on social media, Nemacolin:
-Pays property tax and is the largest payer of property tax in the county
-Is the largest employer in the county
-Is the largest source of earned income tax payable to the township and school district
-Is the sole source for county Local Share Account grant funding, which has funded projects in every municipality and for many nonprofits
-Is the biggest source of hotel tax funding providing grant funds for the tourism industry and marketing of the county
The commissioners remain steadfast in continuing to watch the budget and exploring additional ways to reduce spending.
The Fayette County Board of Commissioners
Scott Dunn
Vincent A. Vicites
Harry Kaufman