Public invited to 2027 budget hearings

Wayne County residents have opportunities to comment about 2027 budgets for governments, 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 a budget 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 have filed their budgets with DLGF and scheduled public hearings are listed below. Entries are broken up by taxing entity, budget, and public hearing time and location.

• Richmond Community School Corp., $69,469,503; 5:30 p.m. Sept. 16, 300 Hub Etchison Parkway, Richmond
• Hagerstown Public Library, $434,476; 7 p.m. Sept. 16, 10 W. College St., Hagerstown
• Boston Township, $203,576; 5 p.m. Sept. 24, 102 S. Salem St., Boston
• New Garden Township, $80,495; 6 p.m. Sept. 28, 312 W. Main St., Fountain City
• Jackson Township, $589,100; noon Sept. 30, 340 W. Main St., Cambridge City
• Richmond Sanitary District, $37,355,144; 7 p.m. Oct. 5, 50 N. Fifth St., Richmond