Lancaster County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Lancaster County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Workforce Development Board funding and partnership agreement
The county renewed its agreement with the Workforce Development Board, which channels federal dollars to job seekers and businesses in Lancaster County. The board's $1.27 million operating budget for next year got the green light with a small 1.34% increase.
Agricultural Conservation Easements
Three farms totaling about 126 acres in Penn, Drumore and Salisbury townships would be permanently preserved under Resolution 69, funded mostly by state money. This keeps the land in farming forever and adds to contiguous blocks of already-preserved farms.
Employee ownership in the local economy
The county celebrated its 27-plus employee-owned businesses, and Tandem Center director Drew Mousetis described how ownership helped him buy a home — with a new state Office of Employee Ownership just approved in Harrisburg.
Senior and Human Services Agreements
A batch of agreements keeps county services running: Office of Aging programs at Spooky Nook Sports, Meals on Wheels delivery in the Mount Joy area, Children and Youth and Juvenile Probation renewals, and a behavioral health MOU with the Lancaster/Lebanon LICC.
Senior services funding
County seniors get the 2027 Senior Games at Spooky Nook and slightly pricier Meals on Wheels deliveries — a quarter more per meal, paid from state grant funds.
Next Generation Farm Loans
Two young farm couples got county-backed low-cost loans totaling about $1.36 million to buy their first farms — keeping farmland in production and in local hands.
Sheriff's Office software and policy-management contracts
The DA's victim-witness office will get a $7,000 texting service so crime victims get faster updates on their cases — grant-funded now, no new budget burden later.
Farmland preservation
Three more farms were permanently preserved in Salisbury, Penn, and Fulton Townships, but new applications dropped to just five this year versus a typical 20. Over 150 landowners are still on the waiting list.
SERT Team Equipment Grant Application
The county applied for a nearly $479,000 state grant to buy a vehicle for its emergency response (SERT) team — bringing outside money in for county safety.
Children and Youth placement costs surge
Commissioners renewed contracts with eight providers of specialized placements for kids in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems — and noted how hard it's become to find an open bed.
Tourism growth in Lancaster County
The Office of Aging renewed its deal with Spooky Nook Sports to host the Senior Games in early May 2027, capped at $55,000 — the same max as last year, funded by state block grants and donations.
Housing & Redevelopment Authority appointment
Kyle Moore was appointed to fill a resignation-created vacancy on the Housing/Redevelopment/Land Bank authorities, with Yoder abstaining for more review time. Quorum problems at recent meetings made this time-sensitive, and a second seat opens later this year with Brooke Hall in the mix.
Sheriff's Office software and policy contracts
The sheriff's office relies on AchieveIt for project tracking and Lexipol for keeping its policy manual current with state accreditation standards. Both contracts were renewed, though the sheriff said they may drop AchieveIt next year if another county tool can do the job.
Abandoned bridge structure ownership cleanup in Martic Township
A quitclaim deed and bill of sale formally sorts out who owns two abandoned bridge structures left over from a 2017 bridge removal project, now that Martic Township vacated the road.
State Food Purchase Program funding for low-income residents
Nearly $758,000 in state money will fund the purchase, transport, storage, and distribution of food to low-income Lancaster County families, with Community Action Program (CAP) running the effort.
State Food Purchase Program funding for county food pantries
Community Action Partnership will keep running the State Food Purchase Program with a slightly larger $776,844 budget, helping offset rising food costs for pantries.
Quitclaim of abandoned Pequea Creek bridge structures
The county is cleaning up ownership of leftover piers and abutments from a bridge removed years ago, confirming they went to adjacent property owners when Martic Township vacated the road.
Domestic violence awareness and victim services
The county proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Local services served 2,416 adults and children last year and answered 1,428 hotline calls — and officials stressed that anyone can be affected and help is available.
Bulk fuel and fleet card contract
The county locked in three-year deals for bulk fuel delivery (with new fleet card services) and insurance brokerage services — the insurance deal costs $456,999, a 10.79% bump.
Big Conestoga bridge projects
Two new contracts — $113,140 for inspections and $76,800 for construction administration — move the Big Conestoga 7A and 7B bridge projects forward, paid from liquid fuels funds.
Behavioral health services funding increase
The board renewed a slate of contracts for mental health and disability services, including a $318,445 federal grant providing permanent supported housing for 20 people with serious mental illness.
Homeless data system coordination
A no-cost two-year agreement keeps the county connected to the regional system that tracks and coordinates services for people experiencing homelessness.
988 Crisis Line Funding and Public Awareness
A new contract brings certified peer specialists into the county's crisis intervention response for people in mental health emergencies, supporting mobile outreach and 988 call response.
Buchmiller Park improvements
The county added $32,500 to RETTEW's contract to finish design work on a bigger parking lot, new bathrooms, a new playground, and a public sewer connection at Buchmiller Park.
Electricity costs rising
The county's next electricity contract could add more than $300,000 to annual utility costs, with a not-to-exceed rate of about 10.65 cents per kilowatt hour. The county is pooling buying power with Lehigh and Dauphin counties to soften the hit.
Fire prevention and battery safety awareness
Commissioners proclaimed National Fire Prevention Week, and fire chiefs urged residents to charge devices safely — this year's theme — and keep working smoke detectors. Cooking remains the top cause of home fires.
New Lancaster County Correctional Facility design and cost
The county's first public look at how it would pay for the $465 million prison project. Four scenarios range from a single borrowing (cheapest overall but a $25 million one-year budget hit) to phased borrowings stretching payments over eight years. Commissioners will meet advisors one-on-one and return publicly to set priorities before any decision.
Magisterial District Court lease renewal at sharply higher rent
Rent is rising on six county-owned homes and farm rates are going up on five agricultural leases starting in 2027. Current tenants face increases from $50 to $195 a month on the residential side.
Act 167 stormwater management planning update
The county is applying for $278,571 in state funding to finish updating its stormwater plan, which guides flood reduction and water quality across municipalities. Most towns would be asked to chip in under $1,000 and could get 75% reimbursement for their own ordinance updates.
Downtown Lancaster Public Safety Concerns
Commissioner Parsons said county employees and visitors don't feel safe around county buildings and demanded consistent enforcement of city ordinances, warning he'd be hard-pressed to keep funding the Downtown Investment District's request without improvement. DID leaders agreed to push for consistency and asked people to report problems.
2027 County Budget Requests from Partner Agencies
Ten nonprofits and agencies pitched their 2027 funding requests, totaling well over $3.5 million combined. The commissioners will weigh these asks as they build next year's budget — decisions that shape library hours, farmland preservation, conservation work and downtown services.
Detective Association labor contract
County detectives will work under a new three-year union contract covering 2027 through 2029.
Expanded employee mental health benefit (EAP)
County employees and their households will get up to 12 free counseling sessions a year under a new EAP contract — and it costs the county $4,000 less per year than before.
County taser purchase and upgrade
The county signed a five-year, $161,694 contract for new tasers with upgraded equipment and training. The cost rose 53% from the prior contract, but state grant money covers it all.
Rising costs of IDD residential care providers
A renewed federal HUD grant will keep subsidized rent and support services in place for 12 county residents with serious mental illness. Funding rose nearly 10% this year to $190,023.
Adult probation safety and security upgrades via JRI 2 grant
Adult probation more than doubled its state grant to $95,000, adding money for electronic monitoring and treatment classes like MRT that help people on supervision change behavior.
YWCA sexual assault services MOU for prison and Youth Intervention Center
A deal with the YWCA — the state-designated provider of sexual assault services for the county prison and Youth Intervention Center — was pulled from the agenda. The solicitor says the MOU needs updating and the county is studying whether other providers or competitive bidding should be considered.
Library Funding Ballot Question
A library funding question goes before voters in November. A Christiana Borough council member supports libraries but worries the money could be better spent on local fire departments, and questions how reassessment might affect the millage rate.
Countywide traffic congestion study
The county is paying to refresh its traffic congestion data so officials can figure out which roads and intersections need improvement most. That analysis feeds the Transportation Improvement Program that prioritizes road projects.
County park residential and agricultural lease rate increases
The county is raising rents on six park homes by about 12% and farm leases by 8.3%. Even after the increase, home rents stay at roughly 76% of HUD market rates.
Courthouse garage concrete repairs
Cracked, uneven sidewalks and curbing behind the government center are letting rainwater seep toward the building. A $39,342 contract with Lobar Associates would fix it.
County Caseworker Union Recognition
Children and Youth caseworkers and Youth Intervention Center staff asked the county to voluntarily recognize their union, Teamsters Local 771, citing high turnover, heavy workloads and burnout. The board took no immediate action.
Penn State Health electronic health record financing
Up to $21 million in tax-exempt bond proceeds will fund a modernization of Penn State Health's electronic health record systems across Lancaster County, including the Lancaster hospital and outpatient offices. The county's approval is a federal tax-code formality and creates no county debt.
IT software renewal with ZOHO Corp.
The county will pay CDW G about $167,000 this year — an 8% increase — to keep backing up all county server data with the Rubrik service.
Urban Densification
Lancaster, Pennsylvania has figured out how to successfully increase urban density, giving growing regions like Washington D.C. a solid game plan for tackling their own housing crunches.
AFSCME Labor Contract
A new three-year contract with the union representing county employees runs through 2028. A reporter raised questions about side letters tied to dropping an appeal of an arbitration decision.
Measles death claims and public transparency
Lancaster County has the majority of Pennsylvania's measles cases. Commissioner Yoder urged families to get vaccinated, noting free or low-cost vaccine locations on the state health department website.
Hazardous Materials Strategic Response Plan
Hazmat incidents dropped 42% last year and response times improved 25% under the new regional team, with local fire companies getting reimbursed for first-response work. A new PEMA grant restarts radiological planning around the Crane Clean Energy Center (former Three Mile Island).
Drug and alcohol treatment and prevention contracts
A new state grant agreement funds prevention, treatment, and recovery services through 2030, though the state now allocates money only year by year — $2.67 million for the first half of 2026.
Children and youth needs-based budget for 2027-2028
The county's child-serving agencies report 45-55 more kids in out-of-home care, driven by parental meth and fentanyl use and troubled adolescents. The budget requests more state and federal draw-down while projecting a decrease in the county match next year.