The Douglas County Commission unanimously approved a one-year extension of its cooperation agreement with the City of Lawrence for the joint operation and maintenance of Lawrence Douglas County Fire & Medical for calendar year 2026.

Staff said the county and city approved funding terms in their 2026 budgets but have not yet agreed on a multiyear funding model. The extension preserves operations and the revised budgetary terms for the year while both jurisdictions continue governance and finance talks. County staff noted capital and operating pressures from planned station rollouts and the need to reconcile long-term funding for new stations.

Commissioners discussed the likely need to extend again in 2027 while a longer-term arrangement is negotiated. The motion to authorize the county administrator to sign the extension passed 5–0.

Quote: “We meet monthly just to monitor ongoing operations and sort of provide joint governance to the work that happens at LDCFM,” a staff presenter said.

Next steps: Staff will continue governance talks with city counterparts and report back during 2026 budget and governance processes.