The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has approved the county budget for 2026, but that doesn’t mean it’s a done deal.

The board on Thursday heard the budget presentation from Financial Services Director Jake Litaker, who said the spending plan envisions $220 million in revenues and $230 million in expenditures, using $10 million from the reserve fund to balance out. Commissioner Alex Ott questioned that.

“We’re not actually at a balanced budget because we’re pulling money out of the reserves and that money is coming from the general reserve fund, correct? So if someone asked me, that’s what my answer is going to be,” Ott said.

Also, commissioners had questions about some of the specifics, like cuts that Commissioner Jim Curran said the county’s broadband committee would want to discuss. He asked if approving the budget on Thursday would mean it can’t be amended.

Chair Mac Elliott said the board can get together in a few weeks and hold a workshop to make amendments. He’s predicting healthcare costs could be reduced by then as the county seeks a deal with Blue Cross Blue Shield on coverage of drugs like Ozempic.

“It’s quite conceivable we could approve this today and then come back and amend it,” Elliott said. “The caveat, I would say, is we want to make sure we’re coordinating with our third party administrator, Blue Cross Blue Shield.”

Litaker said the new budget saves money by eliminating 12 positions that are currently unoccupied, bringing 2026 full-time employees to 830.

By statute, the commissioners had to have the budget approved by the end of this month, but Elliott said they’ll meet again on December 11 to make some amendments.