Lorain County's $100K+ Admin Salaries Triple Amid Budget Controversy

In Lorain County, the number of administrative positions with salaries of at least $100,000 has significantly increased since 2021, as revealed by recent Lorain County Auditor data. The data shows that in 2025, 174 administrative roles earned six-figure salaries, a jump from just 55 such positions in 2021. This increase accounted for $20.3 million of expenditures, representing nearly a quarter of the County's $89 million total operating budget from the previous year.

The increase in these high-salary positions has emerged alongside cutbacks in public services by County Commissioners, who cite an $11 million budget deficit. Additionally, the Commissioners have not engaged in negotiations with striking Job and Family Services (JFS) workers, who are seeking a $1 per hour wage increase to combat retention and service issues. During this period, the County has also allocated $67 million in capital funds to a disputed “Megasite” development project.

Gina Jones, Chairperson of UAW Local 2192 and a striking JFS case worker, stated, “The County Commissioners have blown up the budget on six-figure administrative salaries but won’t resolve a strike with the frontline workers who actually deliver services. We know we have the community on our side in our outrage at the County’s mismanaged priorities and refusal to settle for $1 per hour.”

Resolving the JFS strike with a $1 per hour wage increase would cost an estimated $299,520 per year, which is less than 1.5% of the County's spending on six-figure administrative salaries in 2025. Furthermore, the 2024 to 2025 growth in administrative wages, approximately $2.6 million, is nearly nine times more than the cost required to settle the JFS dispute.

All salary information originates from Lorain County Auditor payroll data made public in 2026, which includes only base salary figures and excludes benefits.