Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster released the financial update for September 2026, highlighting a mix of strong departmental revenues alongside some shifts in tax collections and building permits compared to previous periods.

Building Permits and Fees

The Cumberland County Codes Department issued 28 residential building permits and zero commercial building permits in September. Additionally, the department processed 29 general mechanical permits and 27 general plumbing permits. Total fee collections for the month reached $35,707, down from $42,800 recorded in September 2025.

Department Revenues and Taxes

* EMS Service: EMS collections performed strongly, bringing in $536,367 for the month—well above the estimated monthly income of $433,333. However, year-to-date collections remain $56,947 below the overall estimated target.

* Sales Tax: Local option sales tax collections for the General Purpose School Fund (BOE) totaled $1,506,503, reflecting retail activity from two months prior. While this figure was $39,735 below monthly projections, the county remains $26,125 ahead of projections year-to-date.

* Property Taxes: Current property tax collections stand at 5.94%, compared to 12.27% at this same time last year.

* Hotel/Motel Tax: Collections rose to $256,850—up from $236,948 last year—accounting for 20.15% of the annual budget.

* Prisoner Boarding: Revenue covering three months totaled $129,437, down from $180,851 during the same timeframe last year.

Fuel Costs

Fuel expenditures saw a split compared to budgetary assumptions. While gasoline was budgeted at $3.50 per gallon, the county is currently averaging $2.97 per gallon. Conversely, diesel is averaging $4.54 per gallon, slightly above the budgeted rate of $4.50 per gallon.