Public hearings begin for 2027 county budgets

Wayne County residents have opportunities to comment about 2027 budgets for government, schools and libraries.

Those taxing entities are required to post their estimated budgets on the state Department of Local Government Finance’s Gateway website. Access to general budget information split by fund for Wayne County’s entities is at wwn.to/budgets26. Complete line item details of the budgets may be reviewed in-person by visiting the taxing entity’s office.

Taxing entities are permitted to lower their budgets from the advertised amounts; however, they may not increase the budgets.

Governments, schools and libraries are also required to conduct public hearings to receive community feedback about the proposed 2027 expenditures. Taxpayers are invited to attend and share their opinions about how tax money is spent. 

Within seven days of the public hearings, 10 or more residents may file objections petitions with the tax entity’s proper officers. The taxing entity is then required to adopt a finding about the petition’s objections when the budget is adopted.

Wayne County taxing entities who had filed their estimated budgets with DLGF through Aug. 28 and scheduled their public hearings are listed below. Entries are broken up by taxing entity, budget, and public hearing time and location. 

• Franklin Township, $87,850; 10 a.m. Sept. 8, 4099 Whitewater Road, Richmond
• Dublin Public Library, $36,398; 6 p.m. Sept. 8, 2250 E. Cumberland St., Dublin
• Dublin, $354,423; 6 p.m. Sept. 8, 2250 E. Cumberland St., Dublin
• Spring Grove, $180,706; 7 p.m. Sept. 8, 10 Quaker Hill Drive, Richmond
• Wayne County Contractual Library, $205,582; 4 p.m. Sept. 9, 80 N. Sixth St., Richmond
• Morrisson-Reeves Public Library, $7,173,697; 4:30 p.m. Sept. 9, 80 N. Sixth St., Richmond
• Centerville-Center Township Public Library, $460,362; 4:30 p.m. Sept. 9, 204 E. Main St., Centerville
• Abington Township, $232,503; 5:30 p.m. Sept. 9, 4618 Pottershop Road, Centerville
• Western Wayne School Corp., $12,126,681; 6 p.m. Sept. 9, 215 E. Parkway Drive, Cambridge City
• Nettle Creek School Corp., $13,811,108; 6:30 p.m. Sept. 9, 299 Sycamore St., Hagerstown
• Perry Township, $175,287; 7 p.m. Sept. 10, 11150 W. U.S. 35, Economy
• Jefferson Township, $283,950; 9 a.m. Sept. 14, 37 E. Main St., Hagerstown
• Boston, $42,124; 7 p.m. Sept. 14, 102 S. Salem St., Boston
• Northeastern Wayne School Corp., $18,819,336; 6 p.m. Sept. 15, 7299 U.S. 27, Fountain City
• Center Township, $291,691; 6:30 p.m. Sept. 15, 618 E. Main St., Centerville
• Hagerstown Public Library, $434,476; 7 p.m. Sept. 16, 10 W. College St., Hagerstown
• Jackson Township, $589,100; Noon Sept. 30, 340 W. Main St., Cambridge City