Lancaster County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Lancaster County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Detective Association labor contract
County detectives will work under a new three-year union contract covering 2027 through 2029.
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.
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.
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.
South-Central Transit Authority funding clarification
A follow-up fix to last week's transit funding vote, making the official record show exactly how much operating and capital money was approved for fiscal 2026-27.
County engineer hiring process delayed by PennDOT change
The county's plan to start recruiting a new secondary county engineer is on hold because PennDOT changed its Statement of Interest process. Officials want to align the county's approach before moving ahead.
Youth Intervention Center Security Maintenance
Security cameras and systems at the Youth Intervention Center will keep running under a $24,000 annual renewal — flat cost from last year, with the state picking up most of the tab.
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.
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.
Crane Clean Energy Center reopening support
A $36,353 state grant helps pay a planner working on the reopening of the former Three Mile Island plant, now called the Crane Clean Energy Center.