Lancaster County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Lancaster County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rising contract costs
Salt prices jumped nearly 14% and prison linens almost 47% — inflation keeps pushing up what the county pays for basics.
Hospital Authority term extension to 2075
The Hospital Authority issues tax-exempt bonds for hospitals and retirement communities. Extending its life to 2075 keeps it usable for 20-30 year bond deals. No cost to taxpayers; commissioners still appoint its board.
Property tax reform advocacy
A pastor argued property taxes mean no one truly owns their home, and Commissioner Parsons agreed it's a real problem, especially for seniors on fixed incomes. He pitched letting counties adopt a sales tax if they cut property taxes dollar-for-dollar.
Institutional linens contract cost jump
The county's new linens contract comes with a 46.76% price increase, blamed on rising raw material costs for cotton and linens.
State election funding decline
The county locked in a state grant agreement that could bring about $1.8 million to help pay for running the 2026 general election and 2027 municipal primary. It's 100% state money, so it doesn't change the county budget either way.
Repeal of East Cocalico LERTA tax abatement
The county repealed its LERTA tax break program for designated areas in East Cocalico Township after the township and school district dropped out. New tax abatements end, but existing exemptions continue.
Human Services Block Grant Plan 2026-27
The county's developmental services agency is moving from serving a set number of people to managing a capped dollar allocation — about $142.6 million this year for 1,178 residents. Done well, officials say, it could actually let the county serve more people.
County finances improve for 2025
The county ended 2025 $3.3 million in the black instead of a projected $5.4 million deficit — good news for the budget as the prison project looms.
Inmate phone rate reduction and lost county revenue
A new FCC ruling forces the county to cut inmate call rates from 15 to 12 cents a minute and bans commissions on regulated rates — costing the county about $250,000 a year, replaced by a one-time $325,000 payment.
Former employee's unemployment claim
Elizabeth Miller told commissioners she was denied about $1,300 in unemployment benefits after a layoff, saying HR gave her outdated and wrong information and never explained how to file. The board promised to look into it and connect her with the chief clerk.
County cybersecurity
The county renewed its managed antivirus and threat-monitoring service at $116,400 — 13.78% cheaper than last year because moving to the cloud shrank the number of licenses needed.
County Property Reassessment Appeals
Property owners will get notices of their new assessed values in June and have 40 days to appeal. Tax rates will be adjusted down so governments don't collect more overall, but roughly a third of taxpayers will see bills rise, a third fall, and a third stay flat depending on how their property fared relative to others.
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
Low-income seniors 60+ can get $25 vouchers for fresh, locally grown produce — but demand outstrips supply, with 430+ people on the waiting list last year.
Church tax forgiveness for Kinzers Mennonite property
A paperwork slip cost a small Kinzers church its tax exemption, sticking it with a $10,395.52 tax bill. The school district and township already forgave their shares; the county is the last piece, with action expected May 27.
Commissioner-initiated agenda items dispute
Commissioner Yoder's attempt to add an F&M intern MOU to the agenda triggered a sharp debate over whether individual commissioners can place items on the agenda or whether items must come through staff. The chairman held that staff must originate such proposals.
Disputed LNP Library Tax Article
A split vote over whether the library board needs IT expertise (Yoder's pick, Carrie Rampp) or citizen and fundraising perspective (D'Agostino's pick, Anthony Panzino) as the system migrates to a statewide IT platform.
Polling place fee increase
Polling place locations will now receive $100 per election, matching what other counties pay — a small but meaningful bump for the venues that host voting.
Retirement System Data Automation
A $4,000 fix will automate beneficiary data flowing from the county's HR system into its pension software, cutting manual entry errors and staff time.
County layoffs questioned by resident
A resident laid off in January's ten-person county workforce reduction publicly questioned the criteria used, saying she did the work of more than one person. Commissioners said it was a salary board personnel matter they couldn't discuss.
County computer refresh lease
The county will lease 195 laptops and 40 desktops from Hewlett-Packard over 48 months for $399,210 — less than budgeted.
Health Account Administrator Switch Saves $50K/Year
The county plans to move HSA/HRA/FSA administration to HealthEquity, saving about $50,000 a year while adding 24-hour customer service and a mobile app for employees.
Cash Rounding Policy Due to Penny Shortage
With pennies increasingly hard to obtain from banks, the county would round in-person cash transactions to the nearest nickel. Card, check, and electronic payments stay exact, and the accounting impact is considered negligible.
Custodial Services Contract Savings
The new custodial contract saves about $235,000 (37%) but trims services: no day porters, trash pickup in offices twice weekly instead of daily, weekly vacuuming, and no weekend coverage at the training center. Savings were already baked into the current budget.
Rising IT licensing costs under Broadcom-VMware
The county is locking in a three-year VMware renewal after seeing increases of over 100% and then 33% in consecutive years. Alternatives would require new hardware, so the county chose to lock rates rather than switch.
Planning Review Fee Increase
Developers filing subdivision and land development plans will pay more for county review starting May 1 — the first increase in eleven years. Municipalities still get free reviews for their own planning initiatives.
Commissioners' dispute with LNP news coverage
Vice Chairman Parsons accused LNP of publishing false claims about the prison project vote and about attorney Wally Zimolong's hiring, calling it politically motivated. Chairman D'Agostino agreed, saying the pattern has been pervasive for years.
County engineering contract rate increases
The county's two engineering firms are getting annual rate increases baked into their contracts, with RETTEW up 3.78% for 2026. This affects the cost of county road, bridge, and facilities engineering work.
County fleet vehicle leases and the EV question
The county is leasing 22 replacement vehicles for eight departments at about $361,000 in 2026. Commissioner Yoder raised whether electric vehicles should be considered; staff said Enterprise has advised EVs aren't cost-effective without charging infrastructure.