County Meeting Wednesday to Address SEA 1 Tax Changes Affecting Local Budgets
From the Dunkirk City Council meeting on August 24, 2026
City Attorney Wes urged Dunkirk council members and all municipal officials to attend a county-wide meeting on Wednesday, August 26, at 5:00 PM at the courthouse to discuss how SEA 1 — a 2025 state law restructuring local income tax distribution, amended this year by HEA 1210 — will affect local budgets.
The law shifts control of local income tax adoption to the county council, except in cities and towns of 3,500 or more residents, which may adopt their own rate. The changes take effect January 1, 2029. The meeting will bring together all municipalities in the county to discuss how public safety money and local income tax revenue will be redistributed.
Counties may form a taskforce of county and municipal officials before October 1, 2026, to negotiate a distribution agreement. Any agreement is nonbinding and goes to the state, which will report to lawmakers by December 1, 2026. The county council is described as still learning the new rules — "a whole new mammal," according to the city attorney.
The presiding officer stressed the stakes: "It's gonna affect your schools, your townships, your EMT, your police. It could be a big budget cut."
The clerk-treasurer confirmed she and the presiding officer have attended at least two prior meetings on the topic, with the 2027 state legislative session providing an opportunity to refine the law.
Source: Meeting transcript — City of Dunkirk - City Council Meeting - August 24, 2026
Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.
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