After hours of debate, the Cuyahoga County Council voted to adopt the 2026'027 biennial operating budget and capital improvements program on Dec. 9. The measure passed on roll call with 10 members voting in favor and 1 dissenting vote.

Councilwoman Turner, chair of the finance and budgeting committee, framed the budget as a product of months of public discussion and committee work. Turner said the adopted plan seeks to balance fiscal discipline with county priorities, pointing to restored support for MetroHealth and investments in public safety, youth services, housing, and modernization.

Several councilmembers offered sharp critiques of the process and priorities during the floor debate. One member said the budget signaled "wants over needs," criticized late changes to legislative recommendations and warned that legal settlements or judgments could unbalance the two-year plan. Another speaker urged greater council oversight of opioid-settlement funds and of priorities that affect juvenile probation and homelessness services.

A key amendment added by council restored the MetroHealth subsidy to $35,000,000 per year over the biennium; Council members described that action as protecting a local clinical anchor facing financial headwinds. The budget also included year-end appropriation adjustments, transfers, and targeted funding increases to support department payroll, grants closeout, and other obligations.

The roll call vote was recorded in the meeting minutes as 10 affirmative votes and 1 dissenting vote; the clerk announced the motion carried. The budget resolution takes effect with the new fiscal year and directs ongoing monitoring by the Office of Budget and Management and by council committees.

Next steps: departments will implement appropriations and report to council committees on program outcomes; councilmembers said they plan continued oversight of opioid funds, MetroHealth finances, and the juvenile justice priorities raised during debate.