Lancaster County administrator proposes balanced FY2026 budget with no millage increase; funds public safety, ERP and detention medical staffing

Lancaster County Administrator presented the county’s recommended fiscal year 2026 budget to the Lancaster County Council, proposing a balanced plan that would not raise the county’s millage rate while using growth and existing fund balance for one‑time items and investments in staff and facilities.

The administrator’s recommendation includes a 5% across‑the‑board pay increase for county employees, an increase in the county minimum pay to $15 per hour for full‑ and part‑time staff, funding for 28 full‑time positions prioritized by departments, and $6.96 million in additional recurring general‑fund spending that the presentation said can be covered without a millage increase by using growth dollars and $3.0 million estimated additional fund balance. The proposal also sets aside one‑time fund‑balance appropriations for capital and maintenance needs, and advances several stormwater and trail projects identified in the county’s capital improvement plan (CIP).

Why it matters: the recommendation affects the county’s operating budget, staffing and capital program without increasing property tax rates on existing properties (the presentation explained that state law requires a millage rollback in reassessment years). Council members pressed for detail on several high‑cost, operational items that will affect public safety response and county services.

Major elements and staff requests

- Compensation and positions: The recommended budget factors a 5% across‑the‑board salary adjustment for full‑ and part‑time staff and raises the county minimum wage to $15 per hour (the presentation identified an estimated $451,000 cost for the minimum‑wage change and roughly $2.5 million for the 5% increase). The administrator identified 28 full‑time positions as prioritized in the proposal.

- Public defender and solicitor offices: The recommendation includes funding for the public defender (presentation figure $622,000), which was described as covering a 5% staff increase and adding an additional attorney and law clerks; and funding for the county solicitor at about $1.3 million, which the presenter said includes a 5% pay adjustment for staff and a grant‑funded violent‑crimes attorney whose grant is ending.

- Detention center medical staffing: Council and the sheriff discussed a request for full 24‑hour medical coverage for the new detention center. The presentation identified an additional recurring cost of just over $910,000 to staff that service when the new facility opens. The sheriff said full 24‑hour coverage will be required at opening; council asked staff to explore interim or phased approaches and to issue an RFP to identify options and costs.

- EMS, fire and convenience‑site operations: The recommended budget includes funding for EMS and fire collaboration ($439,000 cited in the presentation), EMS station roof replacements ($106,000), and an option to expand convenience‑site hours by adding two days at six sites (estimated personnel cost about $174,000 for 12 part‑time employees). The presentation and council discussion also referenced Indian Land and WAC/Van Wyke fire districts and funding impacts to district residents.

- Town of Kershaw fire contract and YMCA pool: The administrator recommended continuing a $40,000 contribution for the year‑three YMCA pool agreement. For the county contract with the Town of Kershaw for fire services, the recommended line was shown at $241,000; the town sent a letter requesting that the county reexamine the contract and consider a 50/50 split of specific personnel costs. Council asked staff to provide a breakdown of the contract components and the county’s current costs for maintenance and utilities that have been provided to the town.

- ERP (enterprise resource planning): The recommendation includes a multi‑year ERP implementation. Presentation materials listed a roughly $1.8 million year‑one estimate for software, implementation and associated costs and proposed a new ERP applications coordinator position to manage the project. Staff said a vendor has been selected pending final contract and funding decisions and that the anticipated start date is the beginning of the fiscal year (July 1), contingent on final appropriation.

- Capital, fleet and elections building upfits: The proposal includes capital replacement funding for sheriff vehicle replacements (presentation said 17 replacements fit in the capital replacement fund with nine additional vehicles proposed to be funded from fund balance), and discussion of an elections/fleet building upfit where HVAC, fire suppression and homeland‑security related separation will add to cost. Staff said any additional upfit funds would come from fund balance.

- Trails, stormwater and other one‑time items: The recommendation proposes fund‑balance appropriations for one‑time needs including roof repairs, an engineering study for Bells Ridge Trail, repairs to Old Veil Trail (staff reported a new contractor estimate substantially higher than prior figures), and stormwater projects including Black Horse Run and the Henry Harris culvert. Presentation slides flagged $1.1 million of reserves requested from the stormwater fund for those culvert projects and showed the CIP estimates for FY26 projects.

Council questions and next steps

Council members repeatedly asked for more detail on contract breakdowns (Town of Kershaw fire services), a clearer staffing list for the public defender and solicitor offices, further analysis of wage compaction from the $15 minimum, and options to phase or partially fund the detention‑center medical staffing. Several council members also asked stormwater staff to present an overview of their work and outcomes to date.

The administrator and staff proposed a schedule for review: a committee‑of‑the‑whole meeting for budget feedback, possible first reading of the budget ordinance (presentation listed May 27 as the planned first reading), and the public‑hearing/second/third readings to follow. Staff cautioned that reassessment year public‑notice and rollback rules require specific notice windows for millage publication and that timing of first reading can affect the notice schedule.

Votes and formal actions

The meeting transcript records a motion to adjourn at the conclusion of the session; the motion to adjourn was moved by Councilmember Luis and seconded by Councilmember McGriff and the meeting was adjourned. No other formal votes on the FY2026 budget were recorded during the session.

What to watch next

Council asked staff to return with: a) detailed line‑item breakdowns for the Town of Kershaw fire contract and any proposed split; b) cost and vendor options for detention medical staffing and interim solutions; c) confirmation of positions requested and payroll impacts (including compaction analysis around $15 an hour); d) updated estimates for Old Veil Trail repairs and other CIP adjustments; and e) final ERP contract terms and implementation schedule. Staff indicated they will bring amendments and additional detail at the committee‑of‑the‑whole and the first reading cycle.