HOLLIDAYSBURG — After making cuts across multiple departments, the Blair County commissioners have whittled the 2026 budget shortfall from nearly $7 million to $4.6 million.

During a workshop meeting Wednesday morning, Finance Director Lindsay Dempsie said the county expects to bring in about $49.9 million in revenue compared to $54.5 million in expenses.

When asked if a tax hike is being considered to close the 2025 budget gap, Commissioner Amy Webster said “it’s really hard to say.”

Kessling echoed Webster’s sentiment, stating that it remains to be seen.

The last budget workshop is set for Friday, at which time commissioners are expected to discuss additional cuts, property taxes and any possible millage increase.

Since starting to work on the 2026 budget in October, commissioners have been going line-by-line through county department requests and making various cuts that include Fort Roberdeau security and courtroom furniture.

With big-ticket items already discussed in prior sessions, commissioners on Wednesday worked through a number of smaller line items with Dempsie to find additional savings.

Uniforms and personal protective equipment funding for county prison staff and sheriff’s deputies were among the scrutinized expenses.

For prison staff uniforms, the commissioners reduced the requested $43,300 to $30,000.

According to the union contract, the county must provide prison staff with a new uniform every 18 months, Commissioner David Kessling said, meaning that the county cannot cut this line item below the minimum required.

Commissioners also cut $3,000 from the line item for uniforms in the adult parole and probation department’s 2026 budget.

Another revision will reduce 2026’s annual ammo allowance for county sheriff’s deputies.

Each deputy is provided with one box a month of handgun ammo for training purposes, under their current contract, Kessling said.

Their 2026 budget request for ammo would have allowed two boxes a month, which commissioners denied.

Kessling said he had “no concerns” that denying the increase in ammo or money for more uniforms would lead to deputies being ill prepared for field work.

The commissioners also cut $15,000 from requested funding for autopsy services after the 2025 actual budget data showed less than $145,000 in expenses so far this year.

Numerous small line items for county staff members to attend professional development seminars and conferences were reduced after many departments reported not spending all money budgeted for that purpose in 2025.

The budget allocation for Children, Youth & Families is considered separately as the organization receives about 80% of its funding directly from the state government.

Unassigned funds

Budget data indicates that the county has more than $15 million remaining in unassigned general funds at the end of 2025. A portion of that money could be used to cover any potential deficit. But commissioners are wary of tapping and reducing that reserve which is available to pay for unexpected expenses and could be assigned to projects like building a new county jail.

The 2025 county budget was approved with a $3.56 million deficit that was offset with reserve funds and revenue generated by an 8% increase in the property tax rates.

For 2026, commissioners could cover the $4.6 million with money in the unassigned general fund or they could again use a combination of the unassigned general fund money and revenue from a tax increase — which would be the third consecutive year that real estate taxes go up.

To balance the 2024 budget, commissioners increased real estate taxes from 2023’s levy of 4.097 mills to 4.522 mills. For 2025, the millage rate was 4.883 mills.