CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cuyahoga County’s 2026–2027 budget was already more than $5 million in the red before officials even got around to considering departments’ wish lists for more funding, but instead of cutting deeper, officials are apparently counting on stronger sales tax revenues to rebalance the books.

Executive Chris Ronayne’s initial budget recommendation outlined more than $634 million in general fund spending over the next two years, numbers that required “painful” cuts to social services and left no wiggle room to dip into cash reserves without violating the cash minimum set by the county charter. But during budget hearings in recent weeks, department heads and budget staff discovered millions in previously omitted costs, forcing officials to rethink the plan.

The administrat

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